AGFAJ IV: The Infinite Enemy
by BlazeMarko14
Summary: Twelve years creating the Jedi Rebirth. Twelve years preparing for the next galactic conflict. When evil threatens to rip apart the fabric of the universe itself, Blaze Marko, his family and friends, and the Rebirth itself must meet the fight head on. Stars will wink out, worlds will fall, and people will die as they fight the infinite enemy. One will stand. One will fall.
1. Prologue: The Knights of Rebirth

**WELCOME, MY FRIENDS! THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE FOURTH BOOK IN THE SERIES: AGFAJ: THE INFINITE ENEMY  
I TRULY HOPE YALL ARE READY THIS IS GOING TO BE THE LONGEST AND MOST AMBITIOUS BOOK OUT OF THEM ALL! ENJOY! **

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**Prologue:**

The Knights of Rebirth

"You've made it to this point. You've all faced your trials in the order they presented themselves to you. And, now, you stand before me, ready to become Jedi Knights of the Rebirth. Your blood is still pumping, and your emotions are strong and resolute. You know what you want. You know what your destiny is. You've pushed through visions of the past and of possible futures, and you've even faced specters of long dead adversaries. Each of you has shown the grit and heart to protect those you love and care about, to protect the galaxy for the years to come. Now, only one test is left for you. The Trial of Skill."

I, Blaze Marko, spoke aloud to all my students before me. From left to right there was as followed: Kyle Katarn, Kam Solusar, Luke Skywalker, Leia Skywalker, Benjamin Kenobi, Mara Jade Marko, Tionne, Corran Horn, Cilghal Ackbar, and Galen Marek. Most were the young faces of those I had learned about over twenty years prior to the moment I found myself in.

However, twenty years ago you wouldn't have been able to tell me that _this _was where my destiny lied.

Now, I stood in the center of the Grand Training Hall on the fourth level of the Rebirth Temple. The room was massive, akin to the size of a football field back on Earth. There were obstacles, indentions, and obtrusions in specific places of the training grounds to create a new environment for the Jedi in training to overcome. Each one of the students in front of me had seen this room a thousands times or more to hone their skills or to let off some steam in one way or another, but none of them had been in the position they stood in now.

This was the cusp of their efforts. This would show the fruit of their labor, or lack thereof.

I raised a hand and smoothened out the gray robe that hung across my shoulders, hood down. As I did so, I felt two of the students flinch slightly in preparation for attack, then they lightened up slightly when they figured out that it was just a simple gesture.

My eyes caught each one of theirs and our minds were linked.

_Kyle Katarn. Twenty-four. _I mused. _His parents were farmers on Sulon. His father is a Force Sensitive, and they willingly let the Rebirth take Kyle to train as a Jedi. That was nearly twelve years ago. Almost the exact same time as I founded the Rebirth. Kyle was a kind young man, but his kind face sometimes masked the seriousness of his spirit. Padawan to Master Kotan. _

My eyes shifted to Kam Solusar. _A few years older than Kyle, but he was brought around by his father, Ranik, who was a Jedi Master in the Jedi Order. He felt like Kam would be able to learn and control aspects of the Force that would separate him from his peers. And, Ranik thought the Rebirth was the way to go. A wise choice. Kame was a gentle soul but his affinity for combat set him above most in his class. Padawan to Master Koon._

Next was Tionne. _It was Tionne's grandmother that that had contacted the Jedi many years ago and it was Tionne's own decision a few years prior to join the Rebirth sect of the Jedi Order. Her talents with a violin were only matched by her talents in calculations. With long, yellow-blonde hair, she was smart, brave, and beautiful. That is what has Kam so infatuated, though I'm glad it's reciprocated. Padawan to Master Secura._

My eyes drifted to the fair skinned young man with flowing brown hair and piercing green eyes: Corran Horn. _Kind but tough. Focused and determined. Corellian. His Force talents may not be the strongest, but his connection is enough for him to be trained. His combat skills are admirable and he's an exceptional pilot, even by Anakin's standards. Padawan of Master Tula. _

Next to him stood a tall Mon Calamari female will big, blinking eyes that reflected the lighting above. That was Cilghal, Ackbar's niece. _Her strength lies in her words and her ability to heal. Even now, at such a young age, she has surpassed most of the lead healers at the Jedi Temple and has even come close to the healing factor that the Force allows me to access when greatly focused on. Other than that, she's Gial Ackbar's niece and he knows how great the training from the Order will be for his family. Padawan to fellow Mon Cala Jedi Healer Bant Erin. _

My eyes suddenly found two brown orbs that held determination unlike any of the others. The short cropped brown-haired young man held his lightsaber unlit in a reverse stance. His lightsaber design reflected that of his master's, Rahm Kota's, lightsaber design.

My mind automatically flashed back to when I first saw his father, Kento, on Kashyyyk. We had shared a look and touch within the Force that held the promise of a sort of apprenticeship for his son. Galen was not my Padawan, but his training was overseen by both Kota and I.

As the Grandmaster of the Rebirth, I oversaw the training of all Padawans within the walls of the Temple. Being involved made sure that the lessons were being conveyed as they were meant to. The discipline for each student was evident in the way that they presented themselves. Galen was respectful. They all were. But, there was a kinship between all which surpassed what the Jedi normally taught.

The best thing about the different sects of the Jedi was that the students, and masters, had the ability to travel between Coruscant and the planet we had taken upon as the second home called Crysia, a lush planet drenched in the Force. The Jedi Order did not know where the planet laid because of security reasons, but all were welcome to join as long as all location devices were deactivated. Some Jedi called it seclusion while the rest of us saw it as a precaution.

Then, my eyes fell upon the final four students that stood before me. Luke, Leia, Mara, and Ben.

Luke and Leia descended from a bloodline so strong in the Force that they had yet to discover how far their power could soar. However, that power would only be evident as they trained and grew as individuals. Up to this point, they had passed almost all of their classmates and fellow Jedi as their connection allowed them to push past barriers others found difficult. At times, they were impulsive, but all were at one point or another. It was how you controlled that mindset that determined how the end result was.

Luke stood there clad in his usual black Jedi robes, a lightsaber very similar to his master, Obi Wan Kenobi, in his right hand. In this timeline, however, that right hand was still made of blood, flesh, and sinew. He sported his trademark sandy blonde hair which complimented the confident azure of his eyes.

Next to him stood his sister, Leia Skywalker. In contrast to her brother, her Jedi robes were a lighter version of the cream-colored ones that most Jedi were associated with. Around her waist was a bright red sash with her lightsaber still connected to it. Her brown hair was pulled up into a top-knot with a few strands falling down out of the bun.

The two had grown up in a universe where both their parents were alive and well. And, Anakin Skywalker stayed in the Light.

Then, there was Ben Kenobi. At nineteen, just a year younger than Luke and Leia, he already was sporting a beard near the thickness of his father. His auburn colored hair had a few streaks extra of blonde in it from his mother, Master Tachi, and his eyes were a lighter shade than his best friend, Luke Skywalker. His lightsaber resembled Obi Wan's first lightsaber, which had been lost at the hands of Darth Maul.

Then, there was Mara. Her emerald eyes locked with mine and I saw the slight smile that came to her face. She reached a hand up to brush the red locke of hair out of her face. Her Jedi attire was a dark, forest green combat suit with black boots and a black belt. Her right wrist had a communication bracelet that also had a small, silver charm attached to it. The charm was the symbol of the family that had taken her as her own.

My family.

She was also my own apprentice. Luke was Ahsoka's apprentice. Leia was Jake's apprentice.

The circle always completed itself.

In a swift motion of my right arm, I grabbed the shoulder of my gray robe and flung it to the side, wind whipping loudly as it sauntered to the ground. Around my waist hung two lightsabers: one was the blue saber I created on Kashyyyk and the other was the darksaber of the Mandalorians.

Now, all students had lightsabers in hand.

I smirked and regarded them, "Your final trial, the Trial of Skill, will be fighting me."

Kyle raised an incredulous brow, "All at once, Master?"

I nodded, both lightsabers on my waist staying where they were, "I won't use my lightsabers. Please set yours to the low power setting." My grin widened, "I would hate for a blade to hit someone else and they lose an arm."

That made Kam's face scrunch up just a tad, "Oh, you aren't worried about yourself at all?"

I regarded came carefully, then shortened the smile on my face but kept it good natured, "I mean, things _can _happen. Trust me, I'll only fight when I think it's necessary."

Corran's brow furrowed slightly, "Very well." He looked towards the Skywalker twins, "Luke?"

Luke ignited his green blade and dropped into a fight stance, "Uncle Blaze is always confident. Let's prove that we are a force to be reckoned with."

Cilghal blinked her big eyes a few times before igniting her own saber, sliding back into a form III stance, "I believe we should let him make the first move."

Kyle passed a glance to his companion, "I don't think he will. It's up to us."

Mara moved forward, unclipping her lightsaber from her belt and igniting the blue blade in a spinning twirl. At first, I thought it was just going to be a show, that she would maybe go into a flip. What I wasn't expecting was an attack.

However, she _did _attack.

I had peered slightly into the future just a few seconds before and had seen that it would've been Luke who had attacked. However, that glance might have changed the actual future. Mara leapt into the air, spinning with her blade to bring it down swiftly overhead. The burning blue blade tore through the air from point a to point b in a second.

That second, though, was enough.

I sidestepped the blade as it came crashing down onto the ground. The blade cut only a few centimeters into the flooring before she followed her strike up with an underhanded slash. The Force flared up in a wild display of power as her hand blurred from to the naked eye, taking the blade with her.

I moved my head slightly as the plasma sword shaved off a few hairs from my beard. Then, I gathered the Force in my right hand and pulled back, creating a shield of power. I threw the hand forward, colliding my fist with her stomach, sending her flying backward across the ground until she came to a halt in front of the Skywalker twins.

Mara coughed for a moment before getting to her knees. Luke leaned down and took Mara's arm, helping her to her feet. When she was completely up, she pulled her arm away gently and looked back at me, "Does that count as making you fight back?"

I shook my head, a playful smile adorning my face, "Good try, though, kid."

Mara gave a dry chuckle and pulled her weapon back into her hand, igniting the blade again and holding it down. She looked at Kyle and Corran, "Maybe you'll join in this time?"

Corran and Kyle looked at each other and ignited their golden and light blue blades. All at once, the three Jedi Padawans came soaring back at me. This time, I was completely ready. The Force flowed through me as if I was meant to be its sole conduit. There was the ever-expansive flow of life energy that filled each cell with a purpose to drive forward in its existence.

Mara, unsurprisingly, was first to strike again. She dove forward, saber stabbing forward as Corran struck from the right. Kyle had not yet reached his position and that's where I dodged. Blue and gold passed by my vision as I dropped to my knees, then pushed off one arm, using my palm to swivel my body. The momentum gained went into my next strike.

Kyle slashed forward, but the strength behind the blow was being held back. The intent wasn't there. Kyle was holding back. This was the first time he was going to strike any of the masters, let alone the leader of the Jedi Rebirth. However, I had a lesson to teach.

I dodged Kyle's attack and brought my knee up, covered in energy to strike his stomach, doubling him over. As he bent down to recover his breath, I locked my gaze on Mara. She soared through the air, lightsaber overhead for a final strike. There was time, however, for a counter strike.

The Force sparked in alarm.

I looked down quickly to see Kyle bring his hand up, palm outwards in an open-handed strike. I pulled my head back, falling onto my back to fully get out of reach. Mara came down with her strike finally, and I rolled out of the way, kicking back up to my feet. Then, Corran was there, slashing from the right.

The Force flowed freely through all of them, but I knew each one of them from many years ago. And, I had witnessed their trainings. The advantage was to me.

Using the mastery gained over decades, I coated my palm in a barrier of lightning. The blade made contact and stopped there, pressing against my hand. With just enough energy output, I sent the blade back into the hilt of the weapon. Then, I grabbed Corran by the front of his vest and threw him to the side like a ragdoll but used the Force to slow his descent, so he did not injure himself.

Kyle regained his lightsaber and ran forward, blade down and gaining speed. I bent my knees slightly and threw my hand forward, the Force blasting through my arm like a tidal wave of power. The blast hit Kyle in the torso, sending him spinning away, his lightsaber flying to another part of the room.

Mara was coming up right where he left off. I ran to meet her. She swung violently but in control. Her emotions in the Force were ones of resoluteness and pride. Pride at the strength she had, and resoluteness of the goal she held in her mind: winning. That was how I taught her.

As her blade came back around, I chopped a hand at her wrist. When we came into contact, her lightsaber tumbled and she yelped in slight pain at the strike. Her wrist was not broken by any means, but the electric jolt hadn't been fun either. Instead of admitting defeat, Mara drove her elbow forward towards my nose.

I dodged the attack with a sidestep and grabbed her shoulder. That triggered something in Mara, and I felt the shift immediately. As I started to step back, I saw a blue light emit from her other hand. Sparks of electricity started to form and I realized that she had _expected _me to use that on her hand. She had taken the energy from one hand and diverted into the other one. Now, she was about to use my own energy against me.

At the last second, before she completed the strike, I brought my blue blade up to block.

Mara cut the stream off, her breath gone. She smiled wide, "Looks…like I pass."

I lowered the blade and grinned, "It would seem so." I looked over to Corran and Kyle, "I think all three of you pass. Take it from me, that was a short fight and I technically bested all three of you, but I can feel the expertise in your strikes. Your masters have taught you well. I grant you the title of Knight."

I turned to the rest of the group and pointed at Galen, "Now, Galen, come forward."

Corran and Kyle both got to their feet and gave a bow, "Thank you, Master Marko."

I bowed back, then turned back to Galen.

"Your trial is a different one."

Galen raised a brow, "Master?"

I smirked, "The Force is your ally. Use it. You have a penchant for picking up abilities quickly, and I know you've picked up the Force Lightning technique."

Galen's face colored for a moment, "I see that Master Kota has been talking."

"Old man cant' shut up about it." I chuckled, remembering Kota being a tad drunk one night, "However, I want to see it."

Galen's face hardened, "Full power?"

I nodded, "Full power."

Galen bent his knees and threw his arms to his sides, light blue lightning exploding into existence. It crawled up his arms, circling like a cyclone. It reached his neck, then it finally stopped. The Force flared up again as he tapped into his full range of power for now.

He gave a grunt before throwing his hands forward, massive torrents of lightning flashing forward towards me. Up till a few seconds prior, I had planned to use Tuteminis, the ability to absorb pure energy through the hands. However, when Galen actually attacked, I knew that I had ill prepared myself.

I held both hands out and blasted my own attack back at him, white lightning meeting his strike. The two beams of power crackled and popped against each other as they struggled for control. The ground quaked at the struggle and rocks started to fly up into the air, gravity seeming to give way to the power of the Force.

Galen gave a shout and the power vortex increased, the ground cracking at his effort. Seeing that the only way to end the attack was to nullify it, I opened myself up to the Force fully and killed my own stream. Then, I caught the blast and let the power gather in my palms until it disappeared into the mist. Before anyone could see, I powered down the form taken.

When the dust settled, I gave a grin to Galen, "Damn! That was strong! Definitely a passing grade!"

Galen panted, then fell to his haunches and gave a thumbs up. Then, he fell to his back, his chest heaving.

I dusted my chest off, then turned to the rest, "Okay, back to y'all."

Luke Skywalker was already charging.

An hour later, all the students had passed the trial. Each of them displayed the power and skill needed to be a Knight. Needless to say, they were happy. And, so was I.

* * *

As the last student exited the training room, I reached my hand out to the side, pulling my coat back to my grasp. In a quick and swift motion, I swung it around my shoulders with the hood down. Then, a slow clap found its way to my auditory sensors.

I turned around and my smile grew so wide it threatened to split my face.

"Hello there, beautiful." I smirked. "Am I to assume that you watched from the observatory deck?"

Ahsoka Tano strode through the torn-up battle ground as the digi-struct room started to dissipate into code and the room became a blank slate with black floors interlaced with small grids. Broken material suddenly disappeared into nothingness as the system reset itself. Drones in the air suddenly appeared, projectors on their fronts dying away as the light faded from the photoreceptors.

I waved a hand upward, my wrist band – which also housed my titanium-phrik-alloy suit – blowing slightly blue and the projector drones flew to the four corners of the room to recharge.

When she came to within a meter of me, she raised her own hand, then she gestured to herself, "Yes. However, as you can see, I was fully prepared to step in to assist them at any moment."

That I could see. Ahsoka was clad in a black and silver combat suit that accentuated her battle-ready lifestyle. Her gloves were off and the silver band could be easily seen on her left ring finger. Two lightsabers hung at her side and she casually nudged one of them.

"That's why it's _their _Trial of Skill, not yours." I sent her a wink, "Your power isn't in question."

Ahsoka smirked back and nodded, "I know that well." She then nudged her head to the door where each of the students had left, "Speaking of that, did it go the way you thought it would? Are they on track?"

I gave a small nod, cracking my knuckles as I spoke, "Yes. They are stronger than what they would have been at this age in the original timeline and are progressing at a rate that'll take them higher as they get stronger."

"Luke and Leia have the potential of their father." Ahsoka said, "We've all felt it in the Force since they were born. It's not a wonder why they do so well."

"They've learned to listen to the Force and to their elders." I cracked a small smile at her, "It's a little strange being the one on the other side of the coin."

She raised an eyebrow marking, "You are talking about our age, right?"

"I mean, thirty-five isn't _that _old." I said, reaching up to rub a hand through my beard.

Ahsoka smirked, "You don't look too bad, old man."

My face flushed for an instant before I took in the full view of my woman. Her physical features had stayed in their absolute prime, sporting a strong, curvy physique with powerful legs and a tight core. Her facial structure was soft and lovely, no lines or creases to suggest that any years had gone by in the last fifteen years old. There was a maturity to her overall presence which suggested a vast level of experience.

And, I had to admit, my own body – albeit through rigorous and constant training – had stayed in peak shape. And, through the Force, the lines that would have graced my forehead had not appeared just yet, though the occasional gray hair in my beard would pop up. A fairly muscled torso kept at just under two hundred pounds gave my six-foot frame a perfect visage.

Again, I winked, "What can I say? The Force is with me."

Ahsoka gave a genuine laugh, then placed a hand on her hip, her eyes sharpening just a tad, "So, any word from the Expansion Legion?"

I felt my own heart and mind harden slightly at her question. The Expansion Legion was a division of Rebirth Knights and Masters who – after being trained and passed through myself, Ahsoka, Obi Wan, and Anakin – were sent out throughout the outer reaches of the galaxy with a contingent of the Republic Defense Militia to search for anything amiss in the Force or galaxy at large.

The Republic Defense Militia was created a year after the Shadow Brigade. It disbanded the Clone Army and created a volunteer system that allowed an army to be made up of species of all types. Some clone soldiers, Captain Rex and Commander Cody for example, continued to stay in service to the Republic and help train the next generation of soldiers.

There were three different teams in the Expansion Legion that normally went out for months at a time, but, recently, two of those teams had come back to Crysia. The third team, led by Master Shumda, was currently out around the boundaries of the Unknown Regions. They were scheduled to make contact in a day and, if everything was clear still, they were to head home and the next team was to go out.

This had been the process for three years. It had become a necessity. Building an entire order wouldn't mean much if we weren't prepared for the next bad thing to come our way.

I shook my head, "No. They are supposed to get in touch tomorrow. The other two teams have reported nothing strange along they Hydian Way or the Gogara Sector."

Ahsoka nodded, then craned her neck slightly, "What about Kesh?"

I gave her a look, "Kesh is clear."

Ahsoka heard the tone in my voice and her voice softened, "Perhaps, you being here changed a few things in the flow of history."

I shook my head and walked closer to her, "You forget that it was Cultrous that came here before I did. Ten years before, but that wouldn't have changed the fact that those Sith crash landed thousands of years prior."

Ahsoka laid a hand on my chest, looking up at me slightly, "We had spoken beforehand that this timeline might have been a changed one in itself. If the scouts on Kesh said there isn't anyone there, then that means something is different. But, that's one less thing we have to worry about."

I sighed, grabbing the hand and slipping my fingers through, "You're right. Plus, one of those scouts included Jake. And, you know him. He wouldn't have left if he had even the slightest inclination that they were there. There wasn't even the crashed capital ship."

Ahsoka's eyes lightened and she squeezed the hand, "Then, there you go, love." She released my hand and took a step past my right side. It was only when there was a smack on my rear end did I realize that was her intent the whole time.

"Now," she continued, taking small steps towards the exit, "there is something else I wanted to tell you."

"Oh?"

Ahsoka stopped and turned around, her smile wide with something I couldn't place.

I deadpanned, "I don't like it when you make that face."

Ahsoka grinned, "We've received a request from a Professor Kyner at the Southern University of Coruscant."

For a half second, my heart stopped, "He knows where we are?"

Ahsoka, seeing the distress, sent a calming wave through the Force, "No. I was on a transmission with Chief of State Mon Mothma and she is the one who informed me. Apparently, he is an old colleague of hers."

"What was the request?" I asked, interested now. "Must be good."

"It is." Ahsoka said. "Apparently, he has a student that is doing a project based on the Clone War and the Shadow War and she has asked if she could do an in-depth interview with the great Blaze Marko, Hero of the Galaxy."

My eyebrows shot up, "…a project?"

Ahsoka nodded, suppressing a laugh, "It would appear so. The student is in her third year at SUC and has done her proper research in preparation if you accepted."

"You think it's a good idea?" I asked.

Ahsoka shrugged, "Nothing to hide. It's just facts. Plus," she smirked, "it might just make her the envy of her friends."

"Envy is dangerous." I chided in joke. "Especially for Jedi to encourage."

Ahsoka waved a dismissive hand as she turned back around to the door, "Good thing we aren't Jedi!"

I chuckled loudly and started after her, "What time is it?"

Ahsoka didn't look back, "Dinner time."

"The kids should be done with their studies by now. You cooking or am I?" I asked, looking at my wrist and seeing the time. It _was _time to eat. A second later, my stomach confirmed it.

Ahsoka passed a glance backwards, "Darling, you know I can't cook worth a damn for you."

I laughed hard at that, holding my sides as they started to ache, "The truest thing you've ever said."


	2. Chapter 1: Downtime

Chapter 1:

**Down Time**

Every Jedi had something that they were specifically good at when they used the Force to enhance that particular aspect. Maxwell Marko was starting to think that he was really good at using the Force to run away. At that current moment, he was diving back and forth as his twin sister, Lexiah, was hurling boulders at him.

He dove out of the way of one rock, bringing his hand up to throw his lightsaber directly at her. Her eyes flashed for a second before she sidestepped the attack and threw her own blade at him. As cyan raced by Lexiah, emerald flew past Max. Each blade soared through the air so quickly that they almost became buzz saws of multicolored plasma.

Both siblings pulled the blade back towards their targets, but each one grabbed the blade out of the air. Then, they both came back at each other, striking in succession without success. Both of them were matching blow for blow. Sweat plastered itself to each of their foreheads as they continued to push against each other.

Then, Max dove under a strike and kicked his leg up. However, Lexiah was there to meet him, driving her fist down to collide with his boot. The impact blocked his attack and Max went into a spin to defend himself as Lexiah struck from an angle, her green blade slicing across his blue one.

As Lexiah dove again to strike at her brother, she heard a chime go off in the training room. Suddenly, the room's interior faded into a grid-like skeleton structure. The boulders that lay in pieces suddenly faded into oblivion and overhead lights dimmed as the doors to the training module opened up.

Lexiah lowered her weapon and raised her free hand to swipe at her forehead, letting her lightsaber deactivate in her grasp. She blinked a few times before she caught sight of who had entered the room and interrupted their training.

She smiled when she saw the fiery red hair of her adopted sister, Mara Jade.

Mara had been the unfortunate victim of an evil plan laid out by the Sith about a decade and a half earlier. Darth Cultrous had thought that her heart would be the key to unlocking the near limitless power of the Kyber Shard due to how the original timeline worked out with Mara becoming the Emperor's Hand. His hypothesis was proven incorrect and Mara was left orphaned. Lexiah's father, Blaze Marko, had adopted her during the Shadow War.

"I can see you two are hard at work." Mara said, a smile plastered on her face and her presence in the Force radiating with pride in both her siblings and in herself as well.

Lexiah nodded, her lekku whipping slightly, "I was trying to help Max with his projectile dodging, but we found ourselves in close combat once again."

Behind her, Max appeared, "Hey, being better with a lightsaber never hurts."

Mara nodded, "True." She waved a hand in front of them, a small gesture, "But, you should never hamper your Force abilities."

"We've got Blaze Marko as a father." Lexiah smirked a tad, mirth all across her face, "We never forget."

Mara smiled, then looked at Max, "The Swords Master has been saying that you've been practicing with Electric Judgement, Max. Is that right?"

"Yeah." Max said, then his voice lowered slightly, "I've been trying to use true Force Lightning, but I can't conjure it without the Dark Side, and I know I'm not ready for that just yet."

Mara nodded, "It's hard to master without the Dark Side. Dad figured it out when he was just a little older than y'all are, so you've got time to catch up." She shrugged, "But, Electric Judgement isn't bad either."

Max shrugged back, his shoulders rising and falling in a sigh, "If you say so. Not nearly as powerful." He pointed at Lexiah, "You should see how far she's progressing in her healing techniques."

"I thought you might be learning from Master Erin." Mara said, turning to Lexiah. "Seems to me like each master here at the Rebirth teaches more than one student on occasion."

Lexiah shrugged, holding her hand out as a towel flew into the awaiting palm. She gently rubbed the sweat off her forehead and lekku before smiling, "We need more masters, if you ask me."

Mara's smile wavered only slightly, then her mouth curved into a smirk, "Well, I've made Knight. Shouldn't be too much longer now."

Max jumped forward, enveloping his sister in a big hug, "Congrats, Mar!"

Lexiah joined the hug, "Yeah! I forgot that was today!" She leaned back, "What was the Trial of Skill like?"

"I fought Dad." Mara said, struggling to breathe until she was released. She gave a small cough filled with exaggeration. "He did not go easy on us."

Max clenched a fist up in front of himself, "I hope I get to fight Dad at full strength one day."

"Yeah." Mara said, cradling her wrist, "You might be surprised at how hard he actually hits."

"So, you lost?" Lexiah asked, raising a white marked brow.

Mara, surprisingly, nodded, "Yeah. He actually bested us all."

Max and Lexiah looked at each other with wide eyes, blinking rapidly. Then, they both said simultaneously, "All of you?!"

Mara gave a laugh, then she sobered, "Yeah. Me, Luke, Leia, Kam, Tionne, Cilghal, Kyle, Corran and Ben."

Max let out a whistle, "And, y'all are the cream of the crop. But, hey, you can't say it wasn't a good test of your skills."

Right after the last word, the projector drones starting to blink rapidly with a red coloration. That red coloration was meaning that someone was trying to start a simulation but required a prior authorization code.

The door to the room slid back open and a young man, about a year older than Max and Lexiah, stepped into the room. He was a well-built boy with a defined jaw and short, blonde hair. It was as if his mouth, however, was permanently skewed to look discontented with life in general.

Max groaned softly, "Ah, here he comes."

Lexiah's own mouth twisted into a slight frown, "Great." She said sarcastically.

Mara turned to see who it was, but then she turned back to her siblings with a confused look.

Max nodded, knowing that Mara didn't interact with some of the younger students due to her intensive training schedule and schooling. Therefore, he knew she was at a loss.

Quickly and quietly, he said, "That's Kachin. He's one of the older students. A class above us. He's not the nicest person in the galaxy."

Lexiah huffed slightly, "Or the politest."

Mara gave a small, imperceptible nod as Kachin finally made his way over to them. He put a hand on his side and gave the twins a look that was half irritation and half boredom.

"Get out of the training room if you aren't going to use it." Kachin said, his voice flat.

Max was right there to bite back, "Last time I checked, the right way to get something is to ask for it."

"Why?" Kachin raised an eyebrow, "What you gonna do? Tattle to your father, the _Grandmaster?_"

"Maybe." Lexiah quipped, her voice sharp, "He doesn't share our patience for little-"

Mara quickly cut her off in a smoot, one handed gesture. She turned to Kachin and gave him a once over, "Well," she spoke to her siblings, "he _does _need a lot more training by the looks of it."

Kachin's face reddened in anger and he glared intensely at her, "What did you say to me?"

Mara, six years his senior, reached a hand out to ruffle his hair the way one would a small child, "It's alright, kid. We all have to start somewhere. It's not easy to catch up to these two."

Kachin reached up quickly to slap the hand away but found himself stopped a mere inch away from contact. His eyes flicked over to where Lexiah had a single finger extended his way. Her green eyes flicked with slight amusement as Mara removed her hand and Lexiah released her grip.

Kachin straightened himself and gave a deep frown, "Listen, Jade, I don't care if you are a senior Padawan. That mouth of yours is irritating and should be shut."

Max took a step forward, but Mara, again, made a gesture for him to remain where he was.

"_Knight _Jade to you, Padawan." Mara's voice now was frozen slightly, ice clipped at the end of her tongue. "You will address me as such."

Katchin's face hardened farther, his frown becoming a permanent etching on his features, "…Knight Jade?"

"The Trial was today." Mara said, "Knight Jade. So, with that comes even more seniority. As my first official command as a Knight of the Jedi Order Rebirth, I'm telling you to get out."

For a pair of heartbeats, Katchin was silent. Then, he found he could move his hand again. He lowered it to his side and his gaze followed suit. Mara could sense the anger swelling inside of him and she wondered for a moment why her father would continue to let him be part of the Rebirth if his emotions, at this age, were this volatile.

Katchin made a dismissive gesture and turned around on heel, walking out of the training room without another word.

Max made a noise in his throat, "I coulda taken him."

Mara nodded, turning back to her sibling, "Yes, you could have. But, fighting isn't always the best way to solve things. Sometimes, it takes a more delicate hand."

Lexiah giggled slightly, "This way his pride is wounded and not his body."

Mara returned the laugh, "Indeed. We don't need another student in the medical bay."

Max's face reddened, "That one was an accident!"

"We know." Lexiah and Mara both said, then looked at each other with a glint adorning their eyes.

Max rolled his eyes and turned back to Mara, "Anyway, what's up? You came in here for something right?"

Mara nodded and gestured to her wrist. Max could see the chrono attached to it and he read the display.

"Oh." Max made a noise, "Dinner time."

Lexiah started, then she looked at the time as well, "We've been in here for two hours already!?"

Max shrugged, "Time flies when you're trying to get better."

Mara nodded, reaching a hand out with the Force to turn off the room completely as they all headed for the exit, "You can say that again."

"Time flies when you're trying to get better."

"Smartass."

Max chuckled.

* * *

Once the three siblings were back at the main living quarters for their family, they broke off to their respective rooms to refresh themselves. You did _not _show up to dinner smelling like the rear end of a bantha.

While Max and Lexiah took their time, Mara ran through her shower quickly and changed into comfortable attire: black sweatpants with the logo of Mysta Kellani, her favorite clothing business, and a gray tank top. She pulled her long, red hair into a top knot.

She made her way out of her room and into the main living space directly before the kitchen. Even from that distance she could smell the food that her father was making. The meaty smells of fresh bacon made her lips curve up into a small smile at the thought of a dish that she had tasted over twelve years prior.

Her mind was awash with the past and suddenly, she was a kid again. She could remember the first day that she had been introduced to the idea of having a family that wasn't her own. It was only after her own parents were killed that her adoptive father, Blaze Marko, had taken her in.

One of the first acts of pure kindness that he had shown her was food. Thus, when it was presented, as it was now, she couldn't help the surge of emotions that rushed into her system.

When she finally approached the entrance to the kitchen, her father turned to greet her with a broad smile.

"Good to see that you still have a morocromen of time left in you." Blaze said, turning around from the stovetop that was alive with the spark of deliciousness.

Mara stretched one arm as she came around to give her father a peck on the cheek, "I'd never miss your cooking, Dad."

Blaze smirked, then he turned back to the stovetop, "Well, at least I know that I won't become obsolete in that regard."

Over to the side sat Ahsoka with a leg crossed over the other. She lowered the book she was busy reading to give a teasing wink at Mara, "That's code for you'll still need him even though you're a grown woman now."

Mara rolled her eyes and made her way to the seat at the island, "I'll always need you, Dad. If not only to make me some food."

"I'll take it." Blaze joked back.

Not more than fifteen seconds later, Max and Lexiah came out into the kitchen and took their seats beside Mara. Within ten minutes, a mountain of pancakes, bacon, and scrambled onatzi eggs was laid before the entire family.

Another few minutes into eating, Blaze turned to Mara after he finished swallowing a large bite, "So, now that you're a Knight, when are you going to take your first mission as such?"

Mara puzzled that for a moment before she realized what he had just said. Ever since they had made Crysia their home, Blaze had been very, very specific about missions and when and where those missions would take place. However, this time, he was giving _her _the reigns.

"I hadn't thought about it, honestly." Mara replied, she turned to Ahsoka, "I was thinking that you had something for the new Knights considering you handle the mission handouts."

Ahsoka gave a small shrug, "Our regular intelligence hasn't given us anything to go on for a few days now. It's not anything to be concerned about, but this might be a good time for you to meditate in the Force and see if you can feel unrest anywhere in the surrounding systems. If they need Jedi intervention, you should go."

Mara blinked. _What is with them today?_

Max spoke up as he piled more food onto his plate and eyed it with gusto, "Or you could always go hang with Luke."

The sing song voice wasn't lost on Mara and she used the Force to make his pile of pancakes fall over. He glared at her for a half second.

Blaze caught her eye as she returned her gaze to him, "I know that look."

Mara's face flushed. A second later, Lexiah gave her a slight nudge. She turned to face her sister who was smiling wide, teeth bared.

"You both have been playing "feelings tag" for the last few years." Lexiah's smile turned into a smirk of mirth, "Perhaps you should finally tell him."

Mara found her father's gaze once more and this time she caught something through the Force. For an instant, she unwittingly peered into his mind and saw an image that was blurred but still recognizable. She could see herself standing atop what she could recognize was the roof of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. The image suddenly moved direction and there was Luke Skywalker holding out his hand to him, a lightsaber in his palm. Both she and Skywalker, she realized immediately, were much older in the image that they were currently.

Luke passed on the lightsaber into Mara's hands and there was a moment between them that was not lost on Mara. She could almost feel the emotions of the one she knew was her.

Then, it faded.

"Perhaps I will." Mara said softly.

Blaze's eyes fixed themselves once again and the corner of his lip twitched upwards into a smile, "That would go very well."

Ahsoka gave a dramatic sigh, her smile evident to all, "Oh, I don't know if I can take having a Skywalker as a son-in-law!"

Mara's face turned scarlett and the entire table broke into heartfelt laughter. After it died down, they continued to eat for another few mintues while making idle chit chat. Then, Max pointed forward at Blaze's wrist crono after seeing an alarm pop up for conformation.

"Got somewhere to be?" Max asked his father.

Blaze shook his head, "Not right now. This is for tomorrow. Your mother and I have to attend to some business on Coruscant."

"Anything to do with the Jedi?" Lexiah asked, raising an eyebrow tattoo.

Ahsoka answered, "Actually, no. Blaze has been asked to be interviewed by a student for an end of year project."

Mara blinked again, keeping her thoughts hidden. _Coruscant? For some civilian project?_

However, her thoughts were not guarded enough. Blaze turned to look at her as he heard the comment.

Blaze raised his hand to lay it down on the table top, "There's no reason not to."

Mara shrugged, "It just seemed…out of the blue."

Ahsoka chuckled and got to her feet. She walked behind Blaze and laid her hands on his shoulders, squeezing slightly. She leaned down and kissed the side of his head before saying, "Sometimes, Mara, those are the best times…and the most illuminating ones."

"Some downtime." Max said, finishing his plate and gathering his siblings' empty ones as well and taking them over to the sink. "I like it."

"Plus," Blaze smirked wide, leaning back in his chair, "I _am _pretty awesome."

"Oh geez."

"Here we go again."

"Dad."

"Really?"

Blaze blinked, feigning confusion, "What did I do?"


	3. Chapter 2: The Other Side of the Coin

Chapter 2:

**THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN**

The time was three in the morning. The night sky was plastered with bright, small lights that radiated with both life and beauty. In that moment, I could feel billions of life forms across the expanse of the universe going about their daily lives with their simple tasks and duties.

In that moment, I was restless as I palmed the communicator from my pocket. I rotated the small, cylindrical device between my fingers before I finally made up my mind. This was a call that I had been meaning to make for a long time, but I hadn't had the time to do so due to the duties of being the Grandmaster of the Rebirth.

I switched the transmitter on the bottom side to the delta-nine com-signal and placed the communicator on the railing ledge. Taking a deep breath, I calmed myself in the Force and pressed the activation switch.

The unit beeped once. A few second pause followed.

Then, it beeped twice.

Pause.

Then, three times.

Then, the line went dead.

I stared at the communicator for a full minute before I reached my senses outwards while still keeping my presence low and guarded as to not be sensed by anyone else. When my awareness reached out to the final fringes of the galaxy itself, I felt something push back out to meet me, but it was not what I was expecting.

The presence that met me was not the one I wanted to find, but I received it nonetheless. There were no words spoken, but the Force connected us all the same. The connection lasted four seconds, but there was something clearly said.

_Red. _

"Red?" I mumbled to myself, retracting my presence in full, letting my hands fall to my sides.

Quickly, I searched the recesses of my brain as I tried to find a correlation with that color. There were many red things in the galaxy. There were many red things that I'd seen over the past thirty-five years of being alive. Obviously, a red lightsaber was at the top of that list. However, the person I was searching for was very accustomed to those lightsabers.

I sat down in the chair on the balcony and looked at the communicator again in silent worry.

"You said you would always answer." I mumbled to myself. "You never miss this call."

Unless, something happened.

Again, I reached out through the Force to peer into that region of the universe and found nothing. Nothing whatsoever.

I pulled back again and leaned back, my brain automatically going to the foes that laid in the Unknown Regions.

As my brain started to run scenarios, the com unit started to beep. I pushed all other thoughts out of my head and reached my hand out, the unit activating in a blaze of blue light.

Suddenly, there was a familiar individual before me. The person was clad in black combat trousers and tunic with a silver sash around his belt. In his hand was a lit lightsaber, a crimson beam of energy that flicked its light across the ground and carnage that surrounded it. On the ground beside the one in question laid several bodies. They weren't sentient. They were a type of bipedal four-legged carnivores.

Holding the head of the creature his other hand, Kane gave me a look of confusion missed with a hardness that felt unwarranted, _"Marko."_

"Kane." I cleared my throat, no longer sensing the other presence that flooded my system mere moments before, "You normally don't miss our appointments."

Kane shrugged, releasing the head in his left hand and letting it fall to the grassy ground below him, _"My apologies. I was a little preoccupied. This particular sect of annoba are more vicious during the night than the mid-day."_

I nodded, remembering that the annoba were spread through the galaxy and were most likely spread through the Unknown Regions as well. The case in point being that I had never seen that particular kind of annoba before. They were darker furred than typical gray, almost edging into the black coloration.

That didn't matter to Kane, however.

"Fair." I said, then leaned back in the chair I was perched in, "Should I contact you tomorrow then?"

Kane shook his head, wiping a smidge of blood off his face and deactivating his lightsaber, _"I'm just finishing off the alpha pack. My squad should be able to clean up the rest."_

Again, I nodded, then I gave him a questioning look, "Have you encountered a Force user out there yet?"

Kane nodded, _"A few, but none that pose a threat to the galaxy at large, previously known and unknown."_

"This coming from you." I gave a dry smile, "Kane, leader of the Shadow Brigade and Sith Master."

Kane smirked, _"I prefer the title Lord."_

"You won't get it from me. You know that." I said. As I opened my mouth to inquire farther about the mysterious presence, I felt the Force nudge me in warning. Taking the sudden warning in full, I changed the subject, "What is the current situation on the Vong?"

The Yuzhan Vong were a species that posed a threat to the entire universe if left unchecked. They were a violent, dangerous species that served their own assortment of gods and deities. Controlled by a single ruler, they went about the regions 'cleansing' the worlds that their gods 'commanded' them to. After the last encounter with Ator during the Shadow War and my subsequent revival on Kashyyyk, Kane and I had made the decision to send several well-trained teams out into the Unknown Regions to keep a watchful eye on the would-be invaders.

Kane's eyes hardened considerably, _"Their conquest is not in the near future, but they will strike at some point. Trust that. Our teams have only encountered a single team in the past three months that was bent on having better knowledge of what lies beyond the veil of their understanding. They were quickly dealt with."_

"And, by dealt with you mean?" I raised an eyebrow.

_"__Mind rubbed."_ Kane said, tapping his head, _"The team consisted of thirteen Vong. Two survived and were made to think they had encountered a rival clan and they were victorious but needed time to heal from their wounds."_

I nodded, "Good job. At least we don't have to worry about them for a while longer."

_"__Our watches will stay the same regardless."_ Kane said firmly. _"Next?"_

_"__Please."_

_"__I have not encountered anything as of late that would be a threat to the galaxy at large." _Kane said. _"The threats that were perceived from Earth seem to not exist at this current moment in time. I'm starting to think that having Cultrous here in the first place all those years ago disrupted the timeline to the point of such a drastic change in events."_

"Maybe." I said, raising a hand to my bearded chin in thought, "Or, perhaps they are being warned and moved. I mean, it hasn't been roses and peaches for the last twelve years, but I can see history unfolding differently. People are missing, dead, still alive, or in different professions than originally anticipated."

_"__Which means it's harder for us to keep track of when the shit will hit the fan."_ Kane added, a wry smile on his face. _"For the most part, however, everything seems to be in order."_

I mulled that over, then held a hand up. My lightsabers flew from the bedside table to my hands. They disassembled in mere seconds and the two kyber crystals – the legendary Kyber Shards – floated in front of my eyes, one glowing blue and the other glowing white with a black center.

"And, the Shards?" I asked.

Kane gave a small nod of his head, "_I do not have them with me currently, but the Shards are in maximum security with Ysalamiri Vaults holding them in place. The only way through the vaults is with the passcode combination that only I carry within my brain."_

"For anyone else, I would say that's not the wisest decision based on the fact that thoughts can be broken into. However, considering that you are my clone with my brain and my power of control, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and say that it is in the safest conditions." I said, reassembling my lightsabers and laying them down on the small, glass table beside me.

Kane looked around for a second, then came back, _"I believe that is all to report."_

"Good." I said, reaching for the comlink, "If anything changes, you know the code to get in touch with me."

_"__Or, if I just get lonely."_ Kane said, smirking.

"Or, that." I joked back, though not feeling the entire range of friendship that such a joke would have had if it was a normal being and not a clone made of darkness.

As I reached for the button, Kane held a hand up. The Force, from all the way on the other side of the galaxy, stopped my finger.

"What?" I asked, blinking my eyes.

_"__There is one more thing."_ Kane said, his voice low and grave.

"What is it?" I asked.

Kane lowered his head for a moment, then raised it up. When his eyes came back to mine, they were shining yellow and gold with the power of the Dark Side. Wisps of red flickered into the specks of gold and orange, creating the illusion of molten lava.

_"__The future, Marko, is never in stone."_ Kane said, his voice echoing with the Dark Side, _"Our steps should be measured. You have thought of nothing but the next war and have trained Jedi over the last twelve years to fight in such a war. Be sure that you know what you are doing should it find you."_

There was gravity in his tone. My heart, for an instant, felt like it was full of lead. I could barely breathe for an instant.

"Have you seen something?" I asked, my own eyes sharpening.

_"__Nothing yet. Only feelings."_ Kane said. _"The Dark Side is a pathway to many abilities that some consider to be unnatural, but sensing the future isn't difficult. However, sensing the __**correct**__ future is. I've reached out but only found feelings of the futures that could come. Be careful."_

The connection suddenly died out and I was left there in the dead of night. I took a deep breath and scooped up my lightsabers. When I turned around, Ahsoka was standing there in the doorway to the balcony. She was dressed in red underwear and her eyes were wide and focused.

"How did that go?" She asked.

I gave her a shrug, "As well as it always does, I guess. Nothing to report on in the Unknown Regions as of yet."

Ahsoka gave a small nod of her head, moving closer to wrap her arms around my neck and press herself to me. Her head leant against my chest, my hands coming up to hold her bare back.

"Good." She said softly. "If Kane hasn't found anything as well, then we should be in good standing for the time being."

"That being the operative phrase." I said back, equally as soft. I pulled back slightly too look at her face. My hand came up to caress her soft features before I settled my thumb on her cheek, "Tell me we're doing all we can."

Ahsoka's eyes shone, but her voice was a whisper, "We always have."

I nodded, turning my head to the side for a moment to look at the stars once again. It was so interesting to think that there was life near almost every single one of them.

Before I could speak again, Ahsoka beat me to it. She took my face in her hands and stared directly into my soul, "You have done anything and everything to prepare us for the coming conflict that comes with being Jedi. You have done your very best to make sure that the children, the Masters, the Knights, everyone is ready for the time that battle calls upon us once again."

"For the moment we have to save the galaxy again." I said, a small smile on my lips. _The Star Wars. _

"We take each day hand in hand, my love." She said. "We fight through it all. We will always come out victorious as long as you are there to guide. The Force chose you."

I snorted quietly, "Yes. It did. It chose me, a lone, fourteen-year-old boy to save the galaxy from the Sith while finding love and saving his family at the same time. A truly well thought out story. Only the Force could be so poetic."

"Often, we find that the things that we see are only a small part of the whole picture." Ahsoka said. "Here and now, I can see what the picture is forming."

"And, what is that?"

"A future filled with balance and love." Ahsoka said, her heart melding with mine. The feeling of her over-encompassing love caused my heart to swoon. She continued, "A future where we can go on vacation one day and be the Jedi Masters that the galaxy needs. Where strength comes from training and from meditating. Where we can be us."

I leaned my head down, catching her lips in a soft kiss that we held for the next ten seconds. All that could be felt in that instant was love and purity. There was no fear about the future or any uncertainty that at the cusp of the day, there would be something to smile about.

She was right. The Force _had _chosen me. It had chosen me to correct what needed to be fixed. First, it was a mission. Then, it became a new life. Now, it was my very existence. It was who I had become forever. The life that could have been did not mean anything to me.

All that mattered was that the coin had been flipped. Earth was on the side turned.

_This is where I was meant to be. _I thought as Ahsoka pulled me back into the bed. She wrapped us in blankets before tossing a leg over mine and holding my head against her chest. As I listened to her heartbeat, I felt consciousness start to fade again. A beautiful feeling erupted in my chest as I felt her presence envelop mine.

_This, _I thought, _is the other side of the coin._

* * *

_Interlude 2.1_

As her parents laid back down into their bed, Mara Jade could feel their respective energies in the Force change from an alert tone to one of relaxation and peace. Within mere seconds, both were sound asleep, holding each other in an embrace that showed how close they would always be.

How close they had always been.

Mara leaned back from the door, letting it slide shut without a sound. She stood there for a few more minutes, processing her own thoughts before walking into the living room. She checked the chrono that hung above the door frame to the common area. It was twenty-five minutes past three in the morning.

She couldn't sleep. She had _the _dream again.

In the dream that had been plaguing her thoughts for the last few weeks, she saw herself with her lightsaber ignited, fighting against an enemy that she couldn't see. They were all encased in shadows. However, she could feel the Dark Side pulsing within each of them. Sometimes, in the dream they came at her with lightsabers of all colors. Other times, they came at her with blasters, staffs, and even slug-throwers.

Regardless, they were attacking her. She fought them on all different types of terrains and planets, which some of them she recognized and others she didn't. The dream always came to a point where she was fought her way to a darkened room full of…nothing. There was nothing. Then, she would hear a laugh.

And, the voice that was responsible for the laugh would speak.

_"__You will kill Luke Skywalker."_

And, yet, there she was. She meditated on it whenever she had a free moment. That wasn't often, but she had been trying her hardest to reach into the future with the Force. The Force, however, had other plans. The veil of the future was never certain, and therefore it could only be a_ possibility_ for what she _could_ see.

So, the Force had not given her any vision of that future besides the dream.

Every time she thought about the voice, she could feel her skin prickle and her blood turn cold. The voice was familiar and alien to her at the same time. It was as if, in another life, she had been a subject to that voice. In a way, it gave her comfort and in another it caused her heart to shrivel with fear.

In the back of her mind, she wondered why her father hadn't sensed the inner turmoil within her spirit. He had always been good at that. Though, she admitted to herself, she had done a better job at concealing her emotions without allowing the tension to pass through the Force.

Mara moved over to the windows that showed the outside world of the planet she called home. The world they lived on was strong in the Force, both the light and the dark. She eyed the community that had been formed around the Temple. She could remember when it was just the Temple and the training grounds. Now, it was a community made of nearly a hundred homes, each with levels that were like entire furnished homes. Each level per family with three levels per building. There were some students who had families that didn't want to make the trek to the unknown with them and stayed behind on their home worlds.

Those students who didn't have families along for the ride resided in the Rebirth Temple, where she and her family stayed as well. There were three spires instead of four like the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and in the southernmost one resided the Marko family.

In the twelve years that had passed since they had resided there, Mara had watched the number grow from around twenty members of the Rebirth – that was including her own master, his family, Master Kenobi's family, and thereon – to nearly two hundred and fifty members. The Masters Council of Eleven consisted of her father, her mother, Anakin Skywalker, Obi Wan Kenobi, Siri Tachi Kenobi, Ziv Kotan, Kiara Seto Kotan, Jacob Marko, Master Kanan Jarrus, and Master Kenneth Tarrak. The final spot was being saved for Jet Raal when he made master.

But, even then, sometimes the halls of the Temple never felt emptier than they did recently. There was still a kinship and familiarity with everyone around, but the voice she heard instilled her with a fear she had not known before. It wasn't as if it was currently speaking to her, yet she knew that it _had _at one point in time. Now, whether that time was one she could cognitively remember or not was still to be determined.

"Mara?"

Startled, Mara resisted the urge to spin around and merely turned slightly at the voice, "Yes? Who is it?" She completed her spin and saw that it was Max.

"It's just me." Max said, stifling a yawn and throwing a look to the chrono in the dining area, "I was up to get a glass of water and then I felt your emotions spike for an instant. Are you alright?"

Mara nodded, "I'm fine, Maxy. You know, just became a Knight. So, it's a late night."

Max gave a small shrug, "I understand that. It's not every day that you go through your Knighting Trials and become a leader within the Jedi Rebirth."

"Right." Mara agreed. "Must be all that excitement of what to do next. Tomorrow is a new day."

Max took a few more steps until he was in front of Mara, then he laid a hand on her shoulder. At fourteen years old, Max wasn't that much shorter than his sister. She was nearly five foot five and he was a few inches shorter. He would hit a growth spurt, he knew, but it wouldn't come sooner for him in his own mind.

Then, the Force blossomed for a moment. A connection between the two that was only distinguishable through the bond created. For that singular instant, Max gained a knowledge into Mara's mind. All pathways became unlocked for that one second, but that one second was all he needed.

Max released his hand just as Mara's brain sent a signal to her own left arm to remove his hand.

Max's expression turned somber, "Fear."

"You shouldn't be doing that, Max." Mara said, her voice becoming sharp. "Invading another's thoughts is not becoming of a Jedi."

"Neither is lying." Max retorted; his voice soft. "You weren't thinking about your Knighting Trails at all."

"I never said I was." Mara said, the sharpness fading slowly. Her chest heaved slightly with the added stress of the coming conversation. But, she released it into the Force.

"You agreed with me." Max said. "That's basically the same thing."

Mara quirked a small smile, "Depends on how you look at it."

"Mara."

Mara held her hands up, "Fine. Fine. Yes, I lied. But, I lied about something _I _want to keep to myself."

Max fixed her with a stare, then held a finger up to his head, touching his temple gently. He sighed softly, "This felt turmoil within you, Sis."

Mara opened her mouth, closed it, then started over, "I…I have a feeling. I've been having it for a while now."

Max cocked an eyebrow, "What kind of feeling?"

"That something…or someone is trying to contact me through the Force." Mara whispered as if she was a small child keeping a secret from her parents.

"Have you told Dad?" Max asked.

Mara shook her head, placing a hand on her hip, "No. I don't think I should just yet."

Max gave her a questioning look, "Why wouldn't you?"

"Because, the voice is calling to _me _not him." Mara said plainly, "It's not a matter of pride or of importance. I trust Dad with everything, including my own life. But, there will be things I will face that will be beyond his reach too. I need to know I can handle those times without him. If I can't, then I'll always bring him into the fold."

For a long moment, Max held her stare. She could feel the emotions wrangling inside his mind and she wondered for a moment whether he would be able to control himself. Then, he cracked a smile, "Fine."

"Fine?"

"Yeah." Max said, crossing his arms, "But, if you go and find out whatever is calling out to you and you get your butt handed to you, I'm never letting you live it down. _And,_ you have to bring all of us to help when you come back."

Mara grinned wider, "Deal." She held out a fist.

Max bumped it without missing a beat. Then, Mara enveloped him into a hug. She held him tight, and he held her right back. There was a hidden message in such a display of familial affection. Both understood.


	4. Chapter 3: Intuition

**Hey guys! Sorry for the long hiatus. I've been dealing with my parents' divorce and trying to get my first apartment so life is a little hectic. Plus, with all this coronavirus stuff my job has been a bit precarious as well. But, I'm sure it'll all work itself out! I'm working hard to write the fourth book and I honestly have really big plans for it. If anyone has anything to add, ask, or suggest for future installments or even guesses about what happens in this book, please comment or DM me!**

**Without further adieu, here's the next chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 3:

**Intuition**

The morning that followed the monthly update by Maltus was one that had transpired for years now. It started out with the family waking up in unison. We all came together in the kitchen where Ahsoka and I made a feast fit for kings. After breakfast, everyone got into their respective clothing choices.

As I slid on the phrik-titanium armor casing onto my left wrist, I cast a glance up to the mirror. Today, I had chosen to go with black pants, a gray/white Jedi-esqe tunic top, and Corellian leather boots that matched with the combat belt clipped around my waist. I reached over to the nightstand and both lightsabers came flying over to my hands.

However, I clipped only the darksaber to my waist. With my Jedi lightsaber tightly gripped in my right hand, I walked over to a small panel on the wall by the closet mechanism. I held a hand out and the Force washed over the device, the soft red light turning green before opening up to reveal a small box chamber. In the small wall insert, I held the lightsaber up in front of it. Within a single instant, the lightsaber flung itself into a dozen pieces, floating in front of my face.

The crystal, the blue Kyber Shard, hummed with the tune of kyber. The song could only be heard by the one it chose. That being myself. I reached deep into the Force for a moment and let the crystal slide into the chamber. Once inside, four metal prongs extended from the sides of the chamber, creating an electro-magnetic barrier around the crystal. The device hummed in the same tune of the Kyber Shard itself before sealing back into the wall. Immediately, I felt the Force surround the entire Temple and all the houses that were around.

Many years previous, Ahsoka, David, and myself had come up with the blueprints for a shield generator that ran off the power of a Kyber Shard. This allowed for maximum protection in the event that someone was to find out the location of the base and try to invade or destroy it. The Kyber Shard was completely synced up with my Force signature, allowing no one entry unless the Shard communicated with me through the Force that the being was not hostile. For those deemed a threat, the shield would let none pass and nothing could penetrate it.

I reassembled the lightsaber and held the empty hilt in my hand. I reached my other hand out to the nightstand where another kyber crystal laid, singing softly in anticipation. I had been to Illum soon after my resurrection to obtain my very own – and first – kyber crystal. No surprise, but the crystal happened to turn blue as well.

I inserted the crystal into the chamber and closed it. After a test ignition, I was satisfied.

I made my way out into the main room where Ahsoka was waiting with by herself. I took a look around and saw that she was indeed alone before speaking, "Where did the kids go?"

Ahsoka turned around, sporting a gray and white combat suit with matching gloves, boots, and belt. She tied the wedding ring given by myself years prior around her neck and caught my eye.

"They have already decided what to do with their day." Ahsoka said casually, "Which for some of them will be quite interesting."

I raised an eyebrow, "Which is?"

Ahsoka turned, "Mara said she was going to meditate on where to go for her first mission as a Knight. Max and Lexiah made plans with some of the other Padawans to run the Forest Training Run that you set up in the Cortak Forest."

I chuckled, "Well, that's going to be tough. I designed that training course to be gruesome. They won't get seriously hurt if they fail, but it isn't going to be just a sting."

Ahsoka grinned, "I think that's what has them excited." She made her way over to the edge of the room and opened the door leading to the hallway.

"Makes sense. They are my kids after all." I said as we made our way through the halls to the landing platform. There sat the custom made Mandalorian XRS attack shuttle. It had eight fully stocked crew compartments with a master one for the pilot. It could store more tons of storage than I ever actually carried at one given time. Weapons were state of the art with focal point turbo lasers, gun emplacements for analog use, proton torpedoes, a stealth crystal field generator that was once a part of a mission that Anakin partook in at the Battle of Christophsis against Admiral Trench, and even some built in seat warmers. It was one of most comfortable and deadly ships in the galaxy.

Within half a minute, we were in the pilot and co-pilot's seats respectively. I tapped a few keys and took the controls. We lifted noiselessly up off the landing platform and into the air. Seconds later, we broke the atmosphere and jumped into hyperspace for the short trip that was panned out in front of us.

* * *

"Hey, Lexiah?"

"Yeah, Max?"

"If you knew that someone you cared about was about to do something dumb, would you follow them to try to help?"

Lexiah Marko, clad in a very similar rendition of her mother's classic Jedi garb from the start of the Clone War, swung down from the tree she had been perched on. Instead of the maroon coloration that represented a part of her mother's old clan from before the Jedi found her, Lexiah's cut off top that started from a few inches above the navel to nearly completely covering the womanly figure she was starting to gain was a blue coloration. At this age, her mother was very thin, but she had muscle that helped complete her form. Lexiah was slightly more filled out but she had muscle as well, a good but thinly muscled stomach that allowed her core to be as tight as a triple top knot.

She landed with the grace of a dancer and fixed her brother with a confused glance, "Depends if I thought they needed it."

Max took a ready stance, "I don't know if she will."

"Is it Mara?" Lexiah asked, raising an eye tattoo, "I could feel her emotions last night through the sibling bond we all share. It was for a moment and you beat me to the punch about confronting her, but I thought something might be up."

Max nodded and dove forward, punching at Lexiah's face. She dodged the attack and drove her knee right into his right side. Just before impact, Max used the Force to create a small shield before she bruised his ribs. The block was unforeseen to Lexiah and it caught her off guard for a single half second.

Max barely needed half of that. He swung out his own leg and swept her left one, the one she had been using as the sole source of balance. Max followed through with the kick, spinning through the air until he landed behind his sister. He unclipped his lightsaber and ignited the cyan colored blade, holding it to the side of her neck.

"Point." Max said, then he took a step back. "Mara said she felt like something was trying to talk to her through the Force."

Lexiah got to her feet and dusted herself off, "Something? Or _someone_?"

Max felt something prickled across his neck, "She also said that might be a possibility."

Lexiah unclipped her own blade, holding it out in front of her before an emerald blade flashed to life, "And, she didn't tell dad."

Max shook his head, "She wanted to find it by herself."

"So, Skywalker will go with her." Lexiah smirked. "They always go places together."

"She seemed pretty adamant about being alone for this mission." Max said, switching into a defensive form as she came at him, lightsaber blazing through the air. As they fought back and forth through the jungle, they continued to talk.

"So, what are you getting at?" Lexiah asked as she blocked a sideways blow.

Max leaped high above as she brought up her lightsaber in an overhead arc. He spun around until his feet hit the floor, "Part of me wants to follow her."

"If you think this is a large enough threat for us to follow her, then maybe we need to tell Dad about it." Lexiah remarked as they crossed blades at the chest.

Max gave a shrug as he pushed back, "If there are four of us and it's a real threat, I think we could handle it."

"Careful, dear brother." Lexiah smirked, falling back onto her back, taking Max with her. She kicked her left leg up, sending him flying overhead. "Pride comes before the fall."

And, that was true. Pride did indeed come before the fall. It was the hubris of the Sith of old. That caused them to fall. They always believed that it was the power of the Dark Side that could bring victory over the Jedi Order.

But, there in lied the secret to defeating one's own pride. If one could master the ability to understand why they sought the power they weren't given access to, then they could understand how to embrace what lied before them. True victory only came at the right time when deemed so by the Force.

However, the Markos were never ones to just rely on timing and the Force. There was a time to stand back and let the Force move in its ways, but there was also a time for action. And, Max and Lexiah both knew that action was near.

The question was this: _who _would take action and _what _would be that action?

As Max Marko hit the tree behind his sister, only to look up into the waiting blade of his twin, he realized that action had to be taken to prevent problems that didn't need to be solved alone.

Lexiah deactivated her lightsaber, offering him a hand up. Once he was up, Lexiah gave him a smirk, "I don't know how much help you'll actually be if that's all it took to defeat you."

"Oh, shut up." Max grumbled. "You know my mind isn't here."

"It's with wherever Mara is going." Lexiah pointed out, clipping her saber to her sash. "It does beg the question though: _where _is she actually going to go?"

Max shrugged, "That voice could be from anything or anyone across the galaxy. But, Lex, have you ever stopped to think about the fact that no one else can hear the voice _besides _her?"

Lexiah frowned, considering, "You have a point."

Max nodded furiously, "A big point."

Placing a hand up to her chin, Lexiah said, "That would also mean that whoever is calling to her through the Force has some type of connection to her…but not in a good way."

"I think she'd let us know if she was making friends who didn't just dabble in the dark arts." Max quipped, dusting himself off. "Whoever is reaching out to Mara through the Force is making sure that no one else besides her can hear them. I sense a trap."

"Me too." Lexiah said, her demeanor turning from inquisitive to serious. Max could see the blacks of her eyes shrink with intense focus, her iris colors starting to darken with the emotions rising inside her. "That person is trying to lure our sister into a trap and Mara might just fall for it."

"Mara is smart enough to realize that this is all wrong, right?" Max asked, genuinely confused. "It seems almost like a bad holo-drama."

They were silent for a moment before Lexiah softly said, "What if they are using the Force to influence her from a great distance?"

"She's far too strong in the Force to fall for such a level one move." Max scoffed.

Lexiah shook her head, her head tails swinging slightly with the movement, "I'm not talking about a mind trick. I'm talking about just using the Force to influence emotions. This person might have called out to her and is using the Force to make her curiouser by the minute until she feels like she _has _to find it without telling those she should."

"Like she's doing right now." Max turned to his sibling, fire in his eyes. "We need to get to the landing pad."

Lexiah smirked, "I'll race ya."

"You're on, Lex."

* * *

Mara Jade Marko had been standing in front of her attack shuttle for almost twenty minutes straight. She had been contemplating whether or not the journey she envisioned in her mind was one that she needed to embark alone on. Or, rather, one that she didn't know if she needed to partake in at all.

The voice inside her mind had been calling out to her for weeks now, but it was only at that moment did she feel like she needed to search it out. She told Max that. She had told him that she felt like it was calling out to her from a far distance and she needed to understand why and where it was.

Yet, as she stood there, she could feel her heart weigh upon her chest. There was a sort of guilt in her belly, but she had to push that down. A Jedi Knight of the Rebirth had to be strong and ready to find out all the secrets that the Force held for her. She knew that whatever was out there would only deceiver her if she let it.

She couldn't tell whether the voice was truly evil or not, but the command that it seemed to speak to her definitely was.

"…_you will kill Luke Skywalker." _

It demanded Luke's death, but why?

_Why? _She thought out into the Force in a direct line from the thought of the voice's signal. She realized, in that moment, that she had questioned the voice for the first time since hearing it.

For a single instant, there was silence, then the voice spoke back.

"_Come." _

In the back of her mind, she could feel the underlying message behind that word. It was telling her to seek it out so that it might explain why it continued to tell her to end the life of her dearest friend…and the one who her heart had grown fond of. Her father had always loved the idea of Mara being involved with Luke, though he hadn't ever given a reason for it. She just suspected it was one of the things he just _felt _was right in his soul and within the Force.

And, more often than not, he was right about such feelings.

Mara reflected. _Then, why did I not tell him before he left?_

The question struck Mara with a sense of guilt. She felt guilty that she didn't involve him, or at least let him know, about the presence she felt. Perhaps, she mused, her subconscious didn't allow it because she knew what he would say.

She wasn't some rebellious teenager who wanted to hide things from her father, but if she didn't branch out to find out who she really was and what her place was in the galaxy, then she could never truly be a Jedi. And, funny thing was, her father _knew _that exact fact. How many times had _he _run out on Master Skywalker or Master Kenobi to galivant to what he believed was his destiny?

The stories of her father she had been told of since she was a child. She had endured a war and believed her father to be dead for two years before he came back to life. During those two years, and the years after, she learned all about who Blaze Marko truly was. She had visited his home planet. She had met his sister, effectively her aunt. She had seen who he was a child. She had walked his steps during a Flow Walk. There was no doubt in her mind that her father was one of the purest and most righteous souls in existence, but even he was not without his fair share of hard learning. His lifetime had shown him much sorrow and pain but also much compassion and strength. Through his trials he gained the power to protect those he cared about, and through the discipline that followed he learned how to create that balance within the Force. The balance that was the basis for the Rebirth. No politics. No squabbling. Just the will to do what was right and to follow the guidance of the Force.

She took a deep breath and reached a hand out toward the hatch that led into the shuttle.

"Mara!"

Mara froze, lowering her hand in the same instant she pivoted her feet to turn the opposite direction, right into the waiting gaze of Luke Skywalker.

He was dressed in his normal Jedi blacks. His silver belt was fastened tightly around his waist and his lightsaber – modeled after Obi Wan, his master – hung loosely by the connector ring at the base. His hair was slightly tousled by the wind. And, yet again, she had to admit that his timing was always the worst.

He strode up to her, smiling, "Did I catch you at a bad time?" He looked at the shuttle with curious eyes, "Planning on taking a trip?"

Mara's face flushed slightly, but she used the Force to cool the temperature of her face. She gave a short nod, "As a matter of fact, I am. I was thinking about heading out to check on the Crucible along the Hydian Way."

Luke gave her a look, "I thought that we sent a contingent out to them just a week ago."

Mara shrugged, "Just a routine check. The contingent was just a formality. They should be back any day now."

Luke fixed Mara with a sharper look, then his stare melted into a laugh, "You almost got me. Good try Mara."

Perspiration started to form at Mara's hairline, but she smiled back all the same, "I can't get anything past you, Luke." She went along with what he was thinking. Then, she took a breath, "I was just going to take her for a run through the Tarzill Valley. There's that one curve that gets me every time."

"And, you need to take the _Marwak _to do it?" Luke asked, his Force aura showing nothing but acceptance of the lie. "I thought you would use your speeder to do that."

"If I only use the speeder for the valley, then I'll never get used to making those twists and turns in different vehicles. There's gonna be a moment when I need to make a turn like that with a ship that isn't a speeder bike." Mara said, crossing her arms.

"That's fair." Luke said, nodding his head. "Well, when you get back, do you want to grab some food?"

"Are you cooking?" Mara joked.

Luke's face fell slightly, "I've been practicing since the incident with the burned Cari Cari fish."

Mara smiled a wide, genuine smile as she remember the last time he had attempted to make food for the two. He had made the vegetables and appetizers well and good, but when he had pulled out the Cari Cari fish, it was nearly burnt to a crisp. The problem with the fish is that it didn't give off an odor when burnt, so Luke hadn't realized it until it was too late.

"Well, then yes." Mara smiled, her stomach clenching as she concluded the lie. "I will."

Luke leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. She hugged back, but the two stood there for more time than necessary. Then, they leaned back, looking into each other's eyes. Blue met green in a dazzling display of electricity and chemistry, as if they had clashed lightsabers together to form a wonderful connection of power, loyalty, and warm emotions.

"Luke…"

"DON'T LET HER GO, LUKE!"

Mara's eyes widened as she looked beyond Luke's form at the entrance to the landing pad. Bursting through the door were the bodies of her siblings, Max and Lexiah. Both had sweat dripping from their heads and they dropped into a fighting stance, causing her heart to flip in her chest with surprise.

"Guys?" Mara questioned, feeling a twinge of confusion mixed with fear that they might know something she hadn't told them.

"Sorry, Mara." Max said, slightly out of breath. "Can't let you do that alone."

"Do what alone?" Luke looked back to Mara, confused.

Mara's veins turned to ice.

Lexiah frowned slightly, "She's planning on searching out a voice that's been calling out to her through the Force. One that we can't hear on purpose because it is specifically targeting her."

"Mara." Max started. "We think that whoever is calling to you is using the Force to subtly influence your thoughts and emotions. A slyer way of using a mind trick without trying to change your thoughts directly. It's giving you a slight nudge."

Mara pondered that for a moment and realized that it would make sense. In the weeks since she started hearing the voice, the want and need to find out what it was grew by the day.

"Mara." Luke said, "I don't care that you lied but you have to be truthful now."

Without a word, Mara nodded.

Luke took a breath, not even realizing that he was holding it in, "What has the voice been saying?"

Mara turned to Luke fully, her hands down at her sides, but her eyes were blazing with determination. She already knew exactly what to say because that was the truth.

"I am curious about who it is. I feel like part of me knows what or who it is." Mara said, her voice then turning to steel, "It told me you needed to die, Luke. So, I was going to find it and find out why. Then, I was going to call in reinforcements to deal with whatever or whoever it was." Her eyes softened with her tone, "I don't want anything happening to you, Luke. And, whatever this is wants you dead."

Luke was stunned. He didn't believe that he had done anything in the recent years that had earned him a death notice. Especially not by someone who could reach through the Force and slowly manipulate Mara into…

But, it wasn't manipulating Mara. Mara was manipulating it!

"Mara." Luke said. "You shouldn't go alone."

Max and Lexiah stepped towards them, and Lexiah smiled, "That's why we are here. We aren't going to let you go alone."

Max took his saber in hand and ignited the blue blade, "We are family. We look after each other. Dad and Mom might not be here, but we are."

"I'm going too." Luke said suddenly. "If this turns out to be too much for you three, you'll need some backup. And, I'd much rather it be me that has your back."

For another instant, their eyes locked and Mara could on es gain see what her father seemed to always see. She gave an exaggerated sigh and then threw her hands up, "Fine. Fine."

Max smirked, "She thought she had a choice."

Within minutes, the four of them were in the shuttle and blasting off into hyperspace with the Force as their guide. With any luck, they wouldn't find anything and it would have just been a trick of the mind. However, as they saw the stars stretch into lines of white plasma, Maxwell Marko knew in his bones that the journey they would embark on would change them for the rest of their lives.

For the first time in his life, Max hoped that his feeling was wrong.

He _prayed _he was wrong. If he wasn't, then there would be disasters that followed. It wasn't his anxieties talking, but it was the wisdom of the Force speaking and thinking through him.

He gripped the handle of his lightsaber tightly in his right hand, feeling the grip of the body shape. He had to have confidence in himself, in his team, in the mission. He had to remember that he was the son of Blaze Marko. He had to remember that he was an extension of the Force. He had to remember…

_I am Jedi. _


	5. Chapter 4: The Approaching Storm

Chapter 4:

**THE APPROACHING STORM**

The hyperspace jump to Coruscant did not take as long as I thought it would take due to the upgraded hyperdrive within the ship. The _Millennium Falcon _had a 0.5 class hyperdrive while my ship had a 0.375 class hyperdrive, meaning that time jumps were significantly lowered with such a model.

As we broke through the atmosphere, I had a tingling feeling in the back of my mind. I tried to dismiss it, but it continued to nag at the corners of my consciousness. The feeling proved true when Ahsoka took control of the ship and headed towards the Jedi Temple.

I looked at her, confused, "I thought we were going to the university?"

Ahsoka shook her head, "Not quite."

I crossed my arms, feeling a twinge of annoyance, "So, you lied?"

Ahsoka gave a warm, disarming smile, "Peace, my love. If I told you the real reason we were going to Coruscant, you wouldn't have come."

My frown deepened despite her full lips trying to pry my own lips upward, "Ahsoka…"

Ahsoka sighed gently, "Master Yoda contacted me three days ago and said that Lyra has been reaching deeply into the Force and has been spouting things about the future. The things she's been saying, love, have troubled Yoda to the point where we need to intervene."

I leaned back in my pilot chair with a grunt, "Lyra has been trying to gain our attention for years now. I know she still thinks she's innocent in Cali's death. This was just another ploy. We should head home."

"No." Ahsoka said firmly. "All the other times that she's tried something, Master Yoda has seen through the deception. This time, he believes what's she is saying could be…problematic."

"Possible futures is what one sees when they peer into the Force." I said. "When you look, it could change, or it could stay the same. We aren't meant to see the future and know what destiny has in store for us."

"Which is why this needs to be done." Ahsoka said. "And, of course, she will only explain to you."

"She's become obsessed."

"She was obsessed before." Ahsoka retorted. "Now, she's broken and saying things that could hurt or influence the future. And, we don't want that happening."

I shook my head, sitting back up, "No we don't. You're right." I took my beard in my right hand, "I've avoided talking to her for years. After that one incident when she tried to escape six years ago, I've kept my distance."

"A good and necessary thing, but now is the time to close that distance and find out what is going on." Ahsoka said, staring at the front display. The Jedi Temple was rapidly approaching.

Several years prior, Lyra had been moved to from the Barracks to the Jedi Temple Prison Level. She was guarded by Jedi Knights day and night. She was surrounded by Force-inhibitors, but that didn't mean that she was completely unarmed. I knew, as Ahsoka did, that Lyra was incredibly smart but always let her emotions get the best of her in the long run. There was no bigger game for her, there was only the right there and now, which was a big problem in the grand scheme of things.

The past, it seemed, was always destined to come full circle eventually.

The distance between us and the Jedi Temple closed completely and we landed on the landing platform designated by the Watchtower. As the cooling actuators vented out their exhaust, I fixed the lightsabers on my belt. Then, I leaned over and flipped the switch for the landing ramp.

Ahsoka and I made our way down the ramp and it closed behind us. Waiting at the front of the hanger was Master Yoda.

For an instant, I was caught off guard. Master Yoda never looked so…old. I could feel the Force resonating off of him in palatable waves, but his spirit was weary and his face seemed a different shade of green than it once was.

Then, I remembered. Yoda was approaching nine hundred years old. By my calculations, he would reach that age in a few more years. It seemed that some things of the original timeline couldn't be changed. Yoda's fate might have been one of them.

Yoda leaned a bit on his gimer stick, "Master Marko."

"Master Yoda." I smiled, bowing, "It's good to see you after all these years."

Yoda returned the bow, "And, to see you good it is." He turned to Ahsoka and reached a hand out. She took the hand offered and Yoda patted the back of her hand, "Ahsoka. Thank you I do."

Ahsoka smiled warmly, squeezed back, "Of course, Master. I apologize for the delay."

Yoda shook his head, "No problem it is. Follow me."

We followed Yoda through the hangar and into the Temple itself. He led us to the back entrances that led to the corridor leading to the prison cells. There were Jedi Guardians positioned at every cell, stone faced. The prisoners, we knew, were never mistreated and actually had access to psychological and physical treatments from renowned doctors and medical specialists. However, most declined treatment.

Like Lyra.

We passed by several cells that had more occupants in it than I previously thought were stored here. There were criminals from the Clone War and Shadow War stored here as well. Last time I visited, there were not as many of the same criminals here. Most of them, to my knowledge, were still stored in Republic facilities.

That train of thought was cast away as we neared Lyra's cell.

Yoda looked to me, "After you, Master Marko."

"Thank you." I said, raising a hand over the security sensor. The Force sparked to life for an instant and the symbol facing upwards suddenly flipped downwards, the red indicator light turning green for a successful transition.

I turned to Ahsoka, "Want to come with?"

"I think she'll open up more if it's just you." Ahsoka said, patting my shoulder.

I took a breath, "Fair point." Handing over my lightsabers to Ahsoka, I walked in. The door closed slowly behind me.

I turned forward as Lyra came out from behind her cot. She had been laying on the floor it seemed.

Her blonde hair was tousled and her overall appearance suggested that sleep had alluded her for some time. Or, the sleep she did get was haunted by images or nightmares. Black bags hung under her eyes, eyes that were a dull blue in contrast to the bright azure they once were.

She adjusted herself on top of her cot, hands in her lap and eyes locked with mine. It was a wonder how much one could age. It had been six years, but Lyra looked as if she had aged double that. The wrinkles in her forehead and cheeks were more prominent. Her body shape was thinner, less muscle to fill out the gaps. The prowess that had once been around her aura was long gone.

For a long moment, we continued to stare at each other before I cleared my throat, "Hello, Lyra."

Lyra was silent.

I indicated the ground with a nod of my head, "May I?"

This time, she nodded shortly, her eyes never leaving mine.

I cast a look around the room. As far as cells go, it was furnished nicely. Her cot looked to be comfortable and there were separate small rooms for storage space for books and one for the bathroom. The bathroom had a door switch while the storage room did not. A quick glance to Lyra's fingernails indicated that she had recently been biting them. A nervous tick of hers that she had never been able to kick.

"I've seen worse places to live." I said softly, turning my attention back to her.

Lyra nodded her head, "I remember."

_Interesting. _I thought, reaching out with the Force and finding it near impossible to do. _Right. Force inhibitors._

That meant I had to go off of visual and audio cues to detect the truths and the lies.

"So, Lyra." I started. "Why am I here?"

"Why _are _you here?" Lyra questioned.

I sighed gently, then took a breath, "I've been told that you are saying some very concerning things."

"Such as?"

"You tell me." I said. "I was only briefly told on the trip here. Up until fifteen minutes ago, I thought I was going to do an interview with a university student about the Shadow War."

Lyra cracked a small, sardonic smile, "So, she _lied_ to you."

Not a question, but it was a statement.

"Misdirect." I corrected without malice or attitude of any kind.

"Right."

Silence for a few more seconds, then I spoke again, "What things have you been saying, Lyra?"

"Only what I"be been sensing." Lyra said, voice devoid of emotion.

I leaned forward a bit, "Which would be?"

Lyra's pupils shrunk to the size of pin-holes, "Death."

A shiver ran up my spine.

"Care to elaborate?" I asked, craning my neck to the side.

Lyra fell silent, the fury that had started to warm in her eyes slowly dissipating back into the calm demeanor she was trying to display.

"And, how have you been sensing things?" I asked. "Your connection to the Force is cut in this room."

"Almost." Lyra said. "I would say ninety-nine perfect of that connection is cut. But, that last percent is used to the fullest. I have sensed something far off. I can't tell if the time is drawing near."

"Time for what?" I asked.

"For change." Lyra's eyes blazed blue, but there was another color trying to take root.

I leaned forward a bit more, my own eyes changing color. I could feel it. The color change caught her off guard and she actually leaned backwards in one quick move.

I pulled back the pure blackness that had showed itself and then straightened my back, "You wouldn't be promoting that change unless you absolutely thought you had to."

Lyra started to cast her gaze downward, but I used that one percent connection to hold her neck up, making her keep her gaze locked on me.

"What have you been sensing? Be specific." I said firmly.

Lyra pursed her lips, "I don't want to say something that could hurt the future."

"You didn't care so much about that when you were spurting out whatever you were saying before I came here." I said. "And, if it was so detrimental to the future, you would have made contact with me sooner."

"You wouldn't have come!" Lyra said, emotion exploding from her, eyes tearing up.

"You'll never know if I would've now." I said, taking a deep breath, "But, I'm here now."

"After _six_ years." Lyra emphasized the number of years.

I frowned, feeling ire spark, "You tried to escape. You killed two clones in the attempt. Two clones who I knew…and, you killed Cali all those years ago. Seeing you made me sick."

Lyra's eyes filled to the brim and tears streamed without a sob from her mouth, "…James."

"I am not here to relive the past." I said firmly, placing hands on my knees. "I am here to talk about the future that you saw. Saying everything out loud could influence others to take action that is not necessary. If there is action to be taken, you need to tell me exactly what you've been seeing."

Lyra shuddered, "I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because." Lyra all but whimpered, "It isn't clear enough. I see…I see…"

Then, she started to choke. A dark force descended upon the entire room, seizing Lyra by the throat and holding her in mid-air, gasping for breath.

"I…I didn't!" Lyra was spouting. "I…didn't say…!"

"Didn't what!?" I shouted, jumping to my feet and reaching out through the Force to find the source of the darkness. The door behind me opened up and Yoda and Ahsoka burst through, reaching out into the Force to break the hold on Lyra. The pressure started to fall off her neck when suddenly I felt the Force twitch.

Out of thin air, a surge of Force energy blasted out of nowhere, throwing Yoda and Ahsoka against the rear walls. I stayed upright, using the Force to create a shield around me, all but deflecting the entire onslaught.

I reached deeper, calling on the Force to break the connection that had hold over Lyra. As I finally started to unravel the last strand holding her in place, I felt her life stop.

Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and her arms went limp as she muttered out a final word.

"…_James."_

She fell from the air and I dove forward, catching her in my arms. Her neck hung lifelessly from her body. I placed a hand to her neck.

Ahsoka came up behind me, "James. Is she…?"

I nodded, my heart still and solid, "She's dead."

Ahsoka held up her arm, comlink flaring to life, "Lockdown the Temple!"

I held her comlink down as she said it, cutting the connection off, "No use. It didn't come from inside." I stared up to the ceiling, feeling darkness prickle at the base of my spine, "It came from somewhere else. I felt the connection."

"What kind of connection?" Ahsoka asked.

I turned to her, Lyra in my arms, "She was talking to someone."

"Someone has been communicating with her?" Ahsoka's mouth was slightly agape, "How?"

"I don't know." I said, fighting my grip on the body of one of my oldest friends who had broken my heart by drifting so far from the light, "But, however it was happening, it was happening. Someone used that single percent connection through the Force and has been talking to her while she's been in jail. From what I felt, it's someone incredibly dark and powerful."

Yoda tapped his stick, "Find them, we will."

"No." Ahsoka said. "We have to be careful about this. We need to consider that a course of action is what this person is expecting us to do." She went silent for a moment, then said, "Blaze. Did you recognize anything about this that seemed familiar?"

I nodded, immediately picking up on her train of thought, "That it's very similar to what happened to you in the Clone War. Yes. I did."

Yoda hummed thoughtfully to himself, "A connection, there might be?"

"But, Barriss is dead." Ahsoka said, looking at Lyra's body, "And, Lyra never was in contact with her before or during the war."

I gave Lyra a sad look, "Maybe not, but someone made a _show _today." My sad look turned predatory, "Time to go on a hunt."

Ahsoka nodded, "Back to work then?"

"Back to work."

The hunt had begun.

* * *

After Lyra's body had been placed into a cryo-chamber to preserve her flesh, I turned to Ahsoka as the hydraulics to the pod closed, "We need to call the Council."

Ahsoka nodded, "Once we make orbit, we will. Can't have anyone listening in on our transmission."

I gave a nod, then turned to the window of the room. The sun of Coruscant glowed brightly in the mid-day. Again, as it had so many years previously, it occurred to me how unbelievable that there were billions of people on the planet that had no idea of what had just transpired.

As was the way of life.

"We need to go." I said.

Yoda hobbled into the room, "Leaving, are you?"

"Yes, Master." I said, taking a knee in front of the near nine-hundred-year-old master of the Force. "I must make contact with my Council."

"The help of the Jedi, you may yet require." Yoda said, tapping is cane on the ground.

I shook my head, "No, Master Not this time. This is personal."

Yoda hummed to himself something about a dangerous path to which it would lead down. He had always believed that such crusades or missions that were purely emotional in base would lead to ruin. In some cases, he was right. However, the child who would have rushed into the galaxy to find and destroy an evil he had no knowledge of or no skills to face said evil had grown up. He had become a husband, a father, a master…he was a _warrior. _

"If I require your assistance, I will send for you." I said gently. "Think of this as one of the missions you used to send Obi Wan and I on. Just us two against a legion of bandits, pirates, and marauders. If we needed backup in those days, we always called you. I will do the same."

Yoda nodded, his face towards the ground in pensive thought.

Ahsoka reached forward and laid a hand on my shoulder. I could feel her fingertips on my collarbone, signaling that it was time to leave.

As we made for the exit, Yoda called for us.

When we turned to face him, his face was slightly fallen, "Down different paths, the Force has led us, young Marko. Your path, I sense, will continue to expand and grow beyond limitations set. Wisdom I send with you. Both of you."

I blinked for a moment, stunned. Then, I bowed. I bowed not only out of respect but out of admiration. Twenty years and he was still teaching me new things. Saying things that I had never heard before from my parents, teachers, or friends.

"Thank you, Master." Ahsoka said before I could. "You are most kind, as always." Her words were warm with friendship.

"Proud I am." Yoda said, voice quiet. "Proud of who you have become. Proud of what you have made." His eyes turned to me, his golden-brown irises seeming to take on a warmth unlike anything I had seen from him, "Your parents, proud they would be, Blaze Marko."

Emotion welled up in my throat as I remembered my family, then I forced it down, "Thank you, my master."

Even though the praise was given, I could feel something else stirring in the Force. It wasn't coming from Yoda. It wasn't coming from Ahsoka, and it wasn't even coming from me. It was just there. There was just a feeling of wrongness.

Something foreboding.

In the back of my mind, I truly hoped that Yoda was just being sentimental, and it wasn't a goodbye of some sort. He had plenty of years left to help train the Jedi. And, who would take over the Council as Grandmaster when he was gone?

Master Plo Koon came to mind.

I shook my head, casting the thoughts away.

Ahsoka passed through the door into the hallway and I cast a look back at Master Yoda. His eyes met mine in an exchange that seemed to be more through the Force than anything. We weren't staring at each other in that moment. We were staring at the energies wafting off our spirits.

Information could be sent over a vast array of medias. The Force was once such media. There were no words spoken, there didn't need to be. I knew _exactly _what he meant and there was…no emotional response from my being.

It was just as if it…_was. _

My mind was blank until my back hit the seat of the pilot chair.

Ahsoka must have felt my unease because she reached an orange hand out, overtaking my own, "What is it?"

I met her blue eyes, losing myself in them for a moment as I had done a million times previous.

"Master Yoda." I said softly, almost whispering, feeling emotion now. "He's…getting old. I can see it."

"I could too." Ahsoka said. "But, according to what you've told me, he has a few years left."

"I'm not so sure about that anymore, Ahsoka." I replied, looking out the viewport. "I felt something when he looked at me. I hate to admit it, but I feel like he was almost saying goodbye."

Ahsoka's eyes turned sad, "You felt that through the Force?"

"It was…unclear." I admitted. "I'm just saying what I thought it felt like to me."

Ahsoka squeezed my hand, then brought it up to her mouth for a kiss, "He has lived almost nine hundred years. He's taught every Jedi in some way for nearly a thousand years. Whatever his fate, I know that our friend will be taken care of."

I nodded, remembering for the first time in a long time a memory from my childhood. It was of my father and I. We were watching _Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi_. When Yoda had died, I had been sad. He had been so wise and strong and the last Jedi.

And, now, as an adult who had gone through a life unimaginable to that young child from long ago, I felt that same sadness. Was there something we could do to prolong his life? Was there a secret that I could find in time? Could I clone Yoda and transfer his consciousness?

_No._

There were some things that you couldn't just change because you didn't like them, especially when it came to natural death. To cheat death in that way was to invite catastrophe. I had brought Siri Tachi back to life during the Clone War, but I had the blessing of the Force Ghost of Qui Gon Jinn. Yoda had lived a life full of learning, adventure, pain, joy, and humility. If it was his time to go, albeit earlier than I _wanted, _so be it.

"I hope he doesn't go just yet." I whispered.

Ahsoka's hand came to my bearded cheek, "Me either." Then, her eyes sharpened slightly, "What are we planning to tell the Rebirth Council?"

_Back to business. _I nodded, reaching forward to pull a lever and retract the landing gear. As we lifted towards the sky, I hit a button on the dashboard, "We are going to commence an emergency meeting. We also are going to let Kane know."

Ahsoka gave a nod, "Good thinking. Let's not tell too much over a communication channel."

"Didn't plan to." I said just as the face of my brother appeared. His newly shaven face almost shining in the light he was in.

"_James. How goes your trip?" _His auburn hair was cut short again.

I gave a small sigh, "Let me fill you in, brother."


	6. Chapter 5: What Shadows Leave Behind

Chapter 5:

**What Shadows Leave Behind**

Once we jumped to hyperspace and once Jake knew everything he needed to know, I made my way to the main pilot's quarters of the _Sirius B. _When there, I sat down onto the custom bed I had picked out when designing the attack shuttle. The moment my ass hit the mattress, I laid my head in my hands, reflecting for a moment on the last few hours.

Someone had reached through the Force and…killed Lyra. Someone had used that slight connection through the Force to communicate with her, share secrets, and then – when that person thought Lyra would give them up – they killed her. For all that Lyra had done, she never deserved to die.

If not only that she was a former friend.

But, then, in a moment of complete transparency, I remembered that I had reached out into the Force the night before and gotten back a singular word: _red. _

What that meant I did not know, but I would find out. There was a trail there. There had to be.

The door swished open to reveal Ahsoka standing there, hand resting on the side of the doorway.

"How long?" I asked, raising my head.

Ahsoka shrugged, "Not long now." She made her way to sit beside me, reaching out to take my hand in hers, "I'm sorry, Blaze."

I squeezed her hand slightly, "Thanks. It's just hard to…understand, I guess that's what I'm trying to say."

Ahsoka nodded, "It's all very sudden."

"We are supposed to prevent _sudden._" I said, firmly believing my words. They were what drove the Rebirth. We prevented tragedies. We prevented unnecessary death. Yet, we…no, _I_ couldn't prevent Lyra's.

It stung my heart.

"Well, we need to converse with the council on the next course of action if we are to get ahead of this." Ahsoka said. "Do you have any idea based on the old timeline for who could have pulled this off?"

I reached down into my mind, trying to recall each book with my photographic memory.

There were many enemies that would've surfaced in the years that followed the Clone War. Then, the timeline changed and events played out differently, altering the course of _when _those enemies would actually appear. However, that didn't change _who _they were. There were threats that had been neutralized far before they could get where they once would have been.

The only difficult part was that the Force would not let any information cross over from Earth to this universe. I could real all I wanted back on Earth, but then it was up to my memory to hold that information within the vault that was my brain.

Syndicates and Force users had been found and either turned away, imprisoned, or adjusted to normalcy. Some had resisted, and they were promptly dealt with. It was always peaceful at first, but when they fought, they fought to kill. So, we had to as well.

There were a few people who had slipped through my grasp. Tyber Zann. Tarkin. Gentis.

But, none of them could've done what happened today. Mother Talzin was dead. Ventress was somewhere in the galaxy, but this didn't feel like her. None of the would-be Inquisitors were active. They all were in jail or in the ground.

"I don't know." I said softly. "We've covered so many bases up till this point. But, if I've learned anything since I got here all those years ago is this: if you fuck with the future, it tends to fuck with you back."

Ahsoka nodded, "You have a point." She gave an inquisitive glance, "Should we alert the kids?"

I wasted no time in answering, "Yeah. Let's get them on this." I smirked slightly, "One hell of a Knight mission."

Ahsoka scoffed, "You were doing things like this at fourteen."

"So were you." I said back.

"We were in a war." Ahsoka smiled.

My stomach turned slightly, "Don't jinx me, but let's hope we don't have to fight another one."

Ahsoka stood up and made her way to the door. It swished open with a wave of her hand. She turned back around to face me, hand on her full hips, "That's what we've been preparing for, right?"

"Right." I said, cracking my knuckles, "But, _this _time, we are actually ready for one."

Ahsoka nodded, "Come on."

I gave a grin as I got to my feet and followed her back into the cockpit. As I was about to go into the cockpit, Ahsoka held a hand up to me, "Wait."

I gave her a look, then my gaze flew past her, to where the stars had stopped stretching.

_Wait. We're out of hyperspace? _I thought before catching Ahsoka's eye.

"Blaze." Her voice was firm and distant, as if it was remembering something long buried.

Then, I finally saw what she was talking about. Probably a thousand meters in front of the ship was a diamond-shaped obelisk with black crystal creating a sort of obsidian-like barrier. From the center and spanning from left to right was a dim, white line of light. The space around the obelisk seemed to be incredibly dark and misshapen, as if it was casting an illusion to all but what it wanted to be shown to.

This was the second time I had ever seen it.

The first time was when I was in the Clone War.

"Is that what I think it is?" I whispered, both of us moving into the cockpit and taking our seats.

"That shouldn't be possible." Ahsoka said. "The coordinates are the exact ones we've used before. They should take us home."

"That's not home." I said, taking a deep breath as I felt the full weight of the power before me. The familiar presence of the Light, Dark, and Balance all centered within the obelisk.

"That's Mortis." Ahsoka breathed out. "We've been summoned again."

"Without Anakin or Obi Wan." I said. "The Father must want to talk to us." My face turned pensive, "Talk about convenience."

Ahsoka raised an eye tattoo, "What?"

"Lyra is killed by an unknown assailant through the Dark Side of the Force, and now the Father has summoned us here through the Force." I said, feeling my heart harden with resolve, "I wonder if it has something to do with the Son."

"The Son?" Ahsoka asked. "Shouldn't he still be trapped in the Well of the Dark Side?"

I nodded, holding a hand up to my chest, remembering the duel that ensued between myself, Anakin, and the Son. We had fought him tooth and nail, and it was only at the end did we find out what we needed to do. Anakin had tapped into the full power of the Dark Side, while I had tapped into the full power of the Light Side. Our combined might had taken the Son down and we used our power to create pure restraints made of Force energy. The Father had sealed off the Well, finally trapping the Son there. He had told us that down there he could contact no one on the outside world and his powers would be contained. That also meant that the Dark Side would not grow stronger due to his imprisonment.

So, why did the Father summon us?

"Anakin and I trapped him there." I said. "Perhaps, the Son found a way to contact people on the outside."

"That wouldn't bode well." Ahsoka said, looking at the dash controls just as the sensor screen went dark and the overhead lights starting to flicker. "That means we are about to go under."

"Strap yourself in."

Not more than ten seconds after we both fastened our restraints did the overwhelming feeling of unconsciousness start to take us into the blackness. However, just because reality was fading away didn't mean that my mind wasn't a hub of intricate thoughts.

Mortis was the obelisk of the Celestials. When I was a child – before the universe around myself became real – I had wondered why the obelisk even existed if beings like the Celestials existed. It wasn't until a few years later did I find out why. It was written in the books. The obelisk was meant to contain the Son and the Daughter, but there was another reason for its creation. The Father created the obelisk to shield themselves from the one being in the universe who had the power to make them bow besides the Chosen One: Abeloth.

My own thoughts surprised me for a moment.

I had not given a single ounce of thought to Abeloth in the twenty years I had been here. The most absolute being that was born of darkness and light who was driven mad by the power that was never hers to comprehend. She bathed in the Pool of Knowledge and drank from the Font of Power. Her reasons were pure. She wanted to stop the Son and Daughter from fighting and creating everlasting chaos. Love had driven her to that point. The end result was disastrous.

The Sith had taken up so much of my thoughts that I didn't give thought to her. She was only awakened by continuous war, according to the Kiliks. The Father, Son, and Daughter's combined power were able to put her down every time she came up to rip the universe out of balance.

_But…_ I couldn't help but think. _But, it took far more wars to wake her in the original timeline. Even if things have changed, there hasn't been enough chaos to cause her to rise. Logic, James. Use logic. Don't let that fear take hold. _

And, I wouldn't. As much of a monster that Abeloth was, I knew that she _wasn't _the cause of this meeting. Just like the Vong, she would have to wait. There was no reason to start a fight that no one was ready for.

Not even myself.

My pride would not get the better of me.

As darkness finally started to take hold, I felt something. Something different.

When I reached back out to the feeling, it flew away, vanishing into the back of my mind. However, just as I felt the last vestiges of reality fade away, I heard a single word: _red._

* * *

When consciousness returned to me, I was no longer strapped in the seat of my ship. I was cross-legged within the walls of the tower where the Father stood to keep the balance between the Light and the Dark. The room was lit with blue flame, which only heighted the sense of an era that had passed thousands of years prior.

I cast a look to the side to see Ahsoka waking from her slumber. Her eyes wondered for only an instant before they found mine. She nodded her head slightly and turned forward, causing me to do so as well.

There, sat in front of us, was the Father. His long, white beard reaching the middle of his chest. His face was as old and tired as it had once been, but this time there was something else behind those blue irises laying in a pool of black oblivion. His gaze was penetrating.

The Daughter was at his side, standing there with hands clasped behind her back. Her posture was astute, but there was a small smile on her face. She was _glad _to see us. I could feel that much through the Force.

"Father." I said in greeting, "Daughter."

"Blaze Marko. Ahsoka Tano Marko." Father said. "We meet again."

Ahsoka spoke, "Are we to assume there is something wrong, Father?"

Daughter spoke up next, "Why would you assume that, Lady Marko?"

Before Ahsoka could answer, an owl flew through the opened window, setting atop the Daughter's shoulder. The blue eyes of the owl matched those of the Daughter. She was connected to the animal in more than one way, I could see. It was an extension of herself.

Ahsoka continued, "We haven't been in contact with either of you since our time her during the Clone War." She cast a slight look to me, "That coupled with the fact that Lyra Rey was just killed through the Dark Side of the Force leads us to believe that you may have some insight to give on that situation."

Daughter looked to Father, "Father?"

My mind had been working a million miles a minute since I greeted the Father, and the Father knew it. His eyes never left mine. He was asking a question. No, he was making a _statement. _

"_Ask, Blaze Marko, Knight of the Force."_

"Has the Son escaped?" I asked, voice low. "Or, has he found a crack through the chains?"

Father gave a small shrug, "That I do not know. I have summoned you here for that exact reason."

"So, he had a hand in Lyra's death?" I asked, getting to my feet. "Don't beat around the bush."

Daughter raised a hand to give me a slight push with the Force in suggestion. I shrugged off the suggestion and kept my steely gaze.

Father got to his feet next, his blue and gray robes of ancient times impeccably smooth, "Again, I do not know, young Marko."

"Why would my brother kill Lyra Rey?" Daughter asked.

Ahsoka was quicker than I to the punch, "We suspect she was communicating with someone outside the reaches of Coruscant. Blaze made a slight connection with the dark presence before it retreated." She crossed her arms, "And, then, we are summoned here."

Father raised a hand to his face, stroking his beard, "If he _was _communicating with her, what was the reason?"

I held my breath for a moment, then I let it out, "That's what I was hoping to ask you. Why would the Son – if he could communicate with anyone in the entire galaxy – choose Lyra to contact?"

Daughter looked pensive, "Is it possible that her disdain for Blaze Marko led her to seek out someone to help alleviate her situation?"

Father shook his head, "I do not believe so. Her heart was no so easy crowded in darkness. But, Blaze Marko, it _is _that death which has led me to lead you here again."

"So, it _is _the Son?" I growled, clenching my fists as small slivers of electricity sparked. Ahsoka laid a hand on my shoulder and my anger ebbed away immediately, replaced by a firm resolve.

"Her death sent out a beacon through the Force." Father said. "She said your name – your true name – and then was gone from the Force entirely. That last discharge of energy was something I had not felt in many years, since our encounter twenty standard years ago."

Ahsoka raised a brow, "What feeling, Father?"

Father's mouth became a line, his face becoming taut and still, "The beacon felt as if both the Light and the Dark combined for only a moment and were gone."

"Gone?" I asked.

Father nodded, "Yes, gone. When Anakin Skywalker subdued my children, and when you fought my son, I felt that same energy: Light and Dark combining in an express that could be felt by only those so attuned to the Force."

"That's why Master Yoda and I didn't sense such a thing." Ahsoka said, turning to me, "Did you?"

I shook my head, "I was more focused on the presence killing Lyra than the energy she gave off in death."

"It was similar to one becoming one with the Force upon death." Father said gravely. "I believe you know of Qui Gon Jinn and his studied of the Shaman of the Whills."

I nodded, "Of course. That's common knowledge for me. Known that since I was a child. But, Lyra never studied anything like that. She was never much of a bookworm."

Again, the Father nodded his head, "True. I do not believe she obtained such insight. But, you confuse yourself."

I frowned, "What?"

"The Light and Dark combined and then were _taken _away." Father said, his voice low and menacing. He wasn't making any threat, but his tone was enough to make my skin prickle with anxiety.

Ahsoka's mouth opened up, "Her life force was stripped away from her body?"

Daughter was the one to answer, "That is what my Father believes."

I took that information in, then felt my heart thump three times before settling down. The information that the Father had was only speculation and his own wisdom creating a feasible idea. If he was correct, then that meant someone had taken her life to create something – or someone.

Or, to power oneself from a twenty-year power drain.

"Take me to the Son." I said to the Father, holding out my hand, "He must know something."

"It _is_ possible." Father agreed. "I would caution not to proceed with biased thoughts."

I chuckled despite myself, "Don't worry, Father, I'm just going to have a chat."

Ahsoka snickered slightly behind me. _"I know how your talks go. Just make sure not to hurt him too badly."_

"_No reservations?" _I thought back.

Ahsoka sent a sense of slight disgust through my brain. _"With almost anyone else, yes. With the Son, no. He is pure darkness. I don't think your goodness will hold it against you." _

"_Noted." _I thought back, turning to the Daughter, "Lead the way."

Daughter gave me a small look, then bowed gently, "As you wish, Blaze Marko."

As she turned around, the owl leaped off into the air. It soared high into the air and outside the tower. The Father fell into step with the Daughter, and for a moment I felt something twinge within the Force.

I had a bad feeling about this all of a sudden.

The Well of the Darkside was as I had left it twenty years prior, sealed off with a slab of molten magma imbued with the powers of both the Light and Dark. There were no visible cracks and no perforations that would have suggested that the Son had done anything other than sit down there the entire time since his incarceration.

The Father raised a hand out to the stone, the Force swelling around him in a vortex of controlled power. The stone shifted slightly, moving from its place just enough for a person to leap down.

I turned to Ahsoka, "Ready?"

She nodded, "Yes."

"Just make sure he doesn't bite you this time." I smirked. "I don't need you going all Dark Side on me again."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes, "I promise, o wise one."

As we were about to depart, the Daughter held a hand out to stop us. Before I was able to inquire, the golden light that seemed to surround her at all times seemed to dim for just a moment as two small orbs of light floated out of her palm. They floated over without a sound until they were at our chests. Then, incredibly, they sunk deep within our bodies and we felt the Force create a sort of barrier around our consciousness.

"That is part of the Light that gave birth to us." Daughter said seriously, "It should protect you from any of my brother's attempts to sway you."

"Thank you." I said, bowing slightly. Ahsoka did the same.

Father pulled his hand back, then gave me a look that held a steely resolve, "Find the answers you seek. Or, find the ones you never were seeking."

I sighed gently and muttered to Ahsoka, "Always cryptic." Then, I gave a bow, "Yes, Father."

"We will do as we set out to." Ahsoka bowed.

Without another word, we both leaped into the Well.

* * *

During the first trip to Mortis, the Well is where the Son and I had our final battle to trap him there. The way down was farther than most would have anticipated. Obi Wan had used a speeder to get me out of there before. Now, I was sure that Ahsoka and I could manage without any help of transportation.

We used the Force to slow our descent until we landed a mere five or so meters from where the Son was sat. His legs were crossed over each other, eyes shut as if in concentration. His skin and overall appearance hadn't changed in the slightest and neither had the darkness that consumed his soul.

Instinctively, I fingered the sabers hanging at my waist. A nervous tick, I had figured out some time ago. Almost as If I wanted to make sure I hadn't forgotten them. Which I never had.

Ahsoka stood shoulder to shoulder with me, her fingers splayed in his direction, ready to restrain him if he was to get out of control. The Well of the Dark Side may have trapped the Son and kept his powers at bay, but it also meant that he was always in his element. He thrived on chaos and disharmony. While the Well was a perfect prison, it was also a perfect hotspot for his desires.

"Son." I said, assuming a voice that I didn't normally. One that said _if you don't answer then I would be more than happy to make you answer. _

Almost on cue, the Son opened his eyes, red eyes in a pool of noir itself.

He smiled softly as his eyes turned from mine to Ahsoka. He nodded his greeting before coming back to me. As if he had forgotten, he attempted to raise a hand in greeting, only for his arm to be almost immediately restrained by the shackle of pure light attached to his wrist. On his other wrist was a shackle of pure darkness.

"Blaze Marko and Ahsoka Tano…" Son gave a small smirk, "…Marko was it? It warms my heart to see such a strong bond within the Force."

"Cut the crap." I said firmly. "You know why I'm here, don't you?"

"Perhaps." Son countered, "Why don't you tell me?"

I clenched a fist, then let it loosen almost in the same instant. _Keep your cool. You can't get worked up over nothing. Wait for the right moment to push him. _

"Did you kill Lyra?" I said, the words almost coming out in a whisper. All part of the plan. "And, please, try not to try to confuse or lie to me. It won't end well for you."

Son's smile fading somewhat and he gave an almost uncommitted shrug, "One would think I've learned not to mess with the Knight of the Force."

"We will see." I frowned. "Now, out with it."

Son stared at me for a moment before the lids of his eyes lowered slightly, giving a blank expression, "I did not."

"Do you know who did?" I asked.

"The Force is a fickle thing." Son mused, his voice slightly curious, "It's a wonder to even us. The Celestials. Born of the Force itself and having a nature pure of what side we inhabit. However, that does not mean that we can and would know everything that transpires." He gave a shrug, "Think back to our first encounter. Father summoned you all to figure out what was going on with the Chosen One."

"And?" Ahsoka questioned, "What is your point?"

Son gave her an irritated glare, "The _point, _Lady Marko, while we are given insight into futures that could be and ones that are even most likely to pass, we are not privy to everything that goes on in the infinite expanse of the universe itself."

I raised a brow, "You realize that on Earth I learned everything about the Celestials. So, I know that you're telling the truth about possible futures. However, I do know that the Celestials have the ability to discern powers and track them back to the source. That's how you tracked down and used the Rakkata to build things like Centerpoint and Sinkhole Station. The latter being the one you use to help keep Abeloth contained in the Maw."

Son was undoubtedly surprised. His face contorted into one of stunned disbelief. He knew of my origins. He could see into the thing that was my very existence and know that what stared back at him was something of an enigma.

Nonetheless, he nodded, "Indeed."

"So, I'm thinking that I'm going to have you track this Dark Side energy back to the source." I said firmly, crossing my arms.

Son's eyes darkened, "Are you sure that's wise, Marko?"

"_Now?" _I asked Ahsoka mentally.

"_Now."_

The Kyber Shard within the Darksaber sparked within the cradle of its hilt as I opened up the connection.

I reached a hand out, palm outward. The Dark Side suddenly swirled around my body, small sparks of blue lightning coursing up and down my limbs. The brown hair that stood up in my signature style stood up a little farther as a burning heat flashed across my body. The Force came to life around me and I lashed out a second later. Around the Son's neck, the muscles constricted tightly.

"You still have blood." I said darkly, feeling the power of the Dark Side fuel me but not control me. "What I'm doing now is a little move I like to call _Constraint Flow._"

Son's face flashed with anger and pain. Normally, standard Force users did not have the ability to hurt the Ones. The only reason that Anakin was even able to kill the Son in the original timeline is because the Father stabbed himself with the Dagger of Mortis – which was one of the only weapons in existence itself that could truly kill a Celestial. The Kyber Shards were also such things that could wound and kill them. By drawing on its power to assume the form I had aptly named my _Dark Form_, I was able to control him. That coupled with the restraints put on him by myself, the Daughter, and the Father made a recipe for defeat.

"This technique allows me to slow the blood flow to your brain and organs, causing breathing and moving and existing all the more difficult. With more pressure, I can cause damage. You'll heal from that damage due to the fact you're a Celestial, but that is going to take time." I closed my fingers a bit more, creating more pressure inside his body, "And, unfortunately for you, I've got nothing but time…and so do you."

Son struggled against my hold, but I pressed harder, my muscles tightening as I pushed more power into my hold.

"Stop fighting!" I shouted, vehemence laced deep within, "Give me what I want!"

Son screamed, veins appearing on his forehead. He thrashed back and forth against my hold and against his own chains, but Ahsoka used the Force to hold his chains down. The hardened magma below started to rumble, sending an intense vibrating feeling up my spine. Nonetheless, I didn't let my control become lax.

"You're…" Son started, muscles spasming, "…asking the wrong questions."

I loosened my hold ever so slightly, feeling the Force surround me in an inferno. In that moment, I held the life of a Celestial in my hands. There was no confusion or doubt. He knew it. I knew it. Ahsoka knew it. There was no overconfidence. This was my power. My vision.

"What should I be asking?" I asked, tone sharp.

Son's eyes blazed with anger as he fought against my grasp, lowering his head to stare at me intently, "Who was Lyra Rey?"

My heart clenched with fury and I tightened my grip once again. However, as my power fluctuated to an all-time high, Ahsoka held a hand up to lay on my bicep. She squeezed gently three times. That was code for: _one step back. _I did as she asked, feeling a rush of compassion through her touch. Fingertips that radiated with warm and feeling. In spite of everything, my heart went from clenching with fury to softening with love. I dialed the power back.

"What do you mean by that, Son?" Ahsoka said, looking towards the One in question, "She is…_was _the sister of Ziv Kotan."

"Who was formerly known as David Rey." Son said. "And, you were James Kentic. Both from Earth."

I raised a brow, "And?"

"The knowledge you accumulated through your youth served you very well when you found yourself in the thralls of a war you believed fictional. And, through that knowledge, you changed a timeline that was normally destined to become drowned in darkness, only for the light to reign later, then dark, then light, a cycle never broken." Son said, his eyes distant as if seeing the events pan out in front of him, "You. David. Lyra. Danielle. Jake. Your parents. His parents. All Earthlings. Only some who took the time to learn the necessary knowledge."

I started to catch on, "Lyra was one of the ones who didn't learn what we learned. She was never one for this stuff. She had her own interests."

"Before or after you found yourself among the stars?" Son asked.

Ahsoka spoke, "It sounds like you are suggesting that Lyra knew more than we thought she did."

"She spent nine years in this world. One being a slave. The other eight becoming something she didn't even want to be." Son frowned.

"A Jedi." I mumbled.

Son gestured in my direction, "And, in that time, she spent a great deal of it with her brother, one of the only ones with absolute knowledge of this universe. Do you believe it is possible that he bequeathed some of his knowledge to her?"

Something in the back of my mind sparked a bit. I felt my mouth twitch, "So?"

Son glared, "Use your head, boy. If someone could not get to the knowledge within you or Kotan, who would be next?"

"Lyra." Ahsoka whispered, turning to my side, "Blaze."

"I know." I said, my fists falling away. "He's saying that someone knew that Lyra knew important things about this world."

Son smiled sardonically, "Not just that, Marko. Whoever did this, they also knew where she was, how to get to her, what to say to her, and what knowledge she had that would be important to them. Use your brain, boy."

I frowned, pointing a finger at him, "Watch your tone. I'm getting there."

"Not fast enough." Son muttered. "Every moment you waste connecting the dots at a snail's pace, the more time you let whoever is out there concoct their plans."

"So, give me an idea." I said. "Track down the energy source."

Son frowned, his eyes lowering slightly, "I cannot."

"We just went through this." I said flatly.

"You misunderstand me, Marko." Son said. "It is not beyond my power with ordinary pieces at play. However, the board set before you is not one of ordinary status."

Ahsoka stepped forward, lowering herself to be eye to eye witht the Son, "Is there any knowledge you can pass on? Anything at all? Even if it's from a possible future."

Son chuckled softly, "Lady Marko, you know that such information could disrupt whatever you try to accomplish."

Ahsoka nodded, "It might impede our mission slightly, but it is nothing we can't overcome." She gave me a slight look and I gave a nod of approval. She continued, "We are not asking for a vision, but perhaps a starting location."

Son's face was impassive. However, through the Force I could feel his emotions churning. No, not through the Force…it was through the Kyber Shard. The Shards were connected to the Ones, just as the Dagger of Mortis was. My connection to the black Kyber Shard allowed me internal access to what the Son harbored most: his innermost thoughts.

His innate nature was darkness. He was selfish and arrogant. He fought only for the sake of power and control, forsaking even what his father, the embodiment of balance in the universe, tried to teach him. In ways, he would always be an unruly child bent on causing problems and to undermine even the ones he held most dear, that being his sister, the Daughter.

His eyes came back up to meet mine. Red irises glowed intently before his lip curled into a small, defeated smile, "You are one of the most powerful beings in the galaxy, Marko. I acknowledge that. However, you must realize that you are not _all _powerful."

"That's not my goal." I said. "My goal is just to keep learning and gain a better understanding of what I need to do to keep my family and the galaxy safe."

Son scoffed, "There cannot be light without the shadow of darkness. And, while you seek to find that balance within yourself and for your flock, the goal is not one so easily attained by physical means alone. The Force _is _powerful, but there are mental and spiritual locks that must be unlocked to achieve that level of oneness." He smiled wickedly, "And, my purpose is to break such a balance, but even I know when there is nothing I can do at the moment."

I smirked at him, sensing the challenge, "Oh, trust me, as long as I'm kicking, you won't get the chance."

Son chuckled, "If you say so." He turned to Ahsoka, "Place your hands upon my temples and speak from the guidance of the Whills."

Ahsoka nodded and did as she was asked. The light of the Daughter then started to glow a bit brighter, creating a golden glow from her hands as her fingertips touched the Son's head.

"I am one with the Force and the Force is with me." She chanted softly, the glow brightening. "I am one with the Force and the Force is with me." I felt our bond spark with energy. "I am one with the Force and the Force is with me."

The light suddenly flashed in a bright display of absolute candescence. I held an arm up, shielding my eyes from that blinding, godly light. When it died down, Ahsoka was still clutching the Son's head. Slowly, she got to her feet and turned to me.

"What is it?" I asked, seeing her expression.

"I saw a planet." Ahsoka said gently, her emotions concealed slightly. "Rhen Var."

Immediately, my mind was working a thousand miles an hour. Rhen Var was an ice-covered planet with harsh conditions that made it hard to inhabit. There were no indigenous life forms that were known, but there was a small Republic settlement on the northern continent. However, the northern continent was not where a dark secret lied.

I turned to Son, "Thank you. Enjoy not dying."

"How gracious." Son said.

I started to make my way to the edge of the molten-hardened ground when the Son called out for me to turn back for a moment.

"You know that color you seem to keep hearing." Son said, his voice almost sing-songy.

Sweat formed on my palm for an instant, "What of it?"

"Your insight serves you well." Son said. "Remember it. Remember that word."

"Why?" Ahsoka asked.

Son's eyes glazed slightly with an emotion I didn't think he was capable of, "Sometimes, Lady Marko, a single word has the power of an exploding star."

"Right." I said, giving a small half salute, "See ya in twenty years."

The Son was silent.

I couldn't tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

* * *

We flew back through the opening that the Father had created for us and we landed back on the ground of Mortis' exoskeleton.

The Father and Daughter were waiting in the same spot they had been when we had left. The Daughter reached her hand out once again and retrieved the power she had bestowed upon us. The glow of power disappeared as a feeling of rushing wind past through my chest. Another thing I noticed was that our ship was now directly behind them, ramp down.

The Daughter stepped back and Father spoke, "Did you glean the information you were seeking?"

I gave a nod, "I have enough." I sighed, "Sometimes, I wish you Celestials wouldn't be so fucking cryptic. But, I'll work with it."

"The Force will only allow so much knowledge, young Marko." The Father said, his tone slightly clipped. "That coupled with your own knowledge could breed disaster."

I nodded, "I get it." I held an arm out to Ahsoka, "Shall we?"

"Back to the Temple?" Ahsoka asked, taking the arm.

"Yeah." I said. "Time to go to work."

"What do you think we've been doing?" Ahsoka rolled her eyes playfully.

"Talking to fossils." I said, smirking. Then, I turned to the Father and gave a bow, "Father. Daughter. I take my leave."

Father bowed back, "As you wish, Blaze Marko."

Daughter gave a curtsey, "Blaze Marko. Lady Marko. I bid you farewell, and may the Force be with you on your journey."

"And, with you." Ahsoka and I said in unison. With that, we moved towards our ship. Ahsoka went up the ramp first and I started after her. But, just before I moved into the ship, I cast one final look back, just as I had done with Yoda.

The Father was looking at me, his eyes piercing my gaze.

_I'm going to find out what the hell is happening and I'm going to stop it. _I thought, knowing he would hear. _I've prepared. I've trained. If this is another big fight, my order is ready. My family is ready. _

_But, are __**you **__ready? _Father thought back.

I gave him one final smirk. _You know the answer to that._

_Indeed I do. _


	7. Chapter 6: What We Never Look For

**Hey guys! I do want to apologize for the long wait. I'm sure by this point everyone knows and - in some way - has been affected by the virus that plagues the world. It has been crazy and I've had to do more things in the last ten months than I ever have in my life to make sure that things can keep on going. It's been rough and tiring, but I'm finding my groove in writing my stories once again. This isn't mean to be an excuse, just to say life is rough and I'm sorry. I do hope you continue to enjoy reading! **

* * *

Chapter 6

**What We Never Look For**

"_Nessun buio senza luce. Bast bilanciare. Maxwell, tu chi sei? Tu. Chi. Sei?" _

Max woke with a start.

Those words were new. The voice was new. It was all new.

He sat up in his bunk aboard the shuttle he and his sister had convinced Mara to let them aboard. Currently, if Max remembered correctly, Mara and Luke were still in the cockpit.

He cast a look to the other side of the room where another bunk was carved out in the wall. In that space was his sister, Lexiah. She was curled up in a ball, sleep trapping her within its sweet embrace.

He sent out a wave of comfort to her, not expecting a response. However, once the message was received, it was given a reply: one of equal peace and tranquility. Which only meant that she was awake too.

"You okay, Max?" Lexiah whispered, almost too quiet to hear. Her face was turned towards him but her eyes remained shut and her tone communicated that of someone still trying to rest.

"I'm fine." Max said softly, "Just had a weird dream."

Lexiah opened her jade colored eyes slowly to see her twin, "What kind of dream?"

Max gave a half-shrug, "Not really anything I can picture. Honestly, all I heard were these words in a language that I don't know."

Lexiah blinked twice, "Scientifically, you can't dream of a language you've never heard. Even gibberish in dreams is just mangled languages already known."

Max rolled his eyes, "Thank you, Doctor Lexiah."

Lexiah gave a small smile, "You're welcome. Did the dream feel foreboding?"

"No." Max said, "It just felt…I don't know. I guess random is the word I'm looking for."

"Maybe." Lexiah said, yawning, "It was just a dream. Just because we have the Force doesn't mean that _every_ dream we have is a warning."

Max nodded, pulling the covers back up on his body, "Yeah. You're probably right."

Lexiah closed her eyes again, "Most of the time, I am."

"Go back to sleep, Lex." Max said, sending a small Force push to shove her slightly in her bed. She took the blow and rolled slightly then readjusted herself, letting sleep take her once again.

Max closed his eyes and fell back into that same slumber, this time no dreams haunting him.

When he awoke the next time, Lexiah was gone. Her blanket was folded neatly at the end of the bed.

Max yawned, stretched his arms and legs, then walked out of the room. He made his way down the hall until he was at the refreshment area. He opened the cooling unit and pulled out a ripe muriti fruit. As he bit into the sweet, delicious delicacy, he saw Lexiah walk into the room in her normal attire and not her pajamas.

"Hey." He said, mouthful of fruit. "Was wondering where you went."

Lexiah popped her left arm, "Went to take a sanisteam."

Max nodded, taking another bite. After swallowing, he nodded towards the cockpit, "What do you think they've been doing for the last three hours."

Lexiah smirked deviously, "Probably swapping spit."

Max made a gagging noise, "Not something I wanted to picture in my mind."

Lexiah shrugged, lekku swinging slightly, "You know, it doesn't really bother me. Sometimes, I wonder when it's gonna be my turn to find a person to share those things with." Her voice had turned incredibly soft.

Max sometimes forgot that even though his sister was one of the strongest individuals he'd known with both the Force and a saber, she was also a girl. And, sometimes, she was a _girly _girl.

There had been a couple of students at the Rebirth Temple who had tried to make a move on his sister. Those guys had also found themselves nursing a bruised pelvis due to the fact that they were coming on aggressively. Max knew they were just immature. _Very _immature.

Some of them were also put on refresher duty by their father.

"Let's just make sure they aren't…" He smirked at her and made a pinching motion with two hands, "…_grabby._"

Lexiah's face turned from light orange to red. She crossed her arms across her chest, "That was _one _time. And, if I remember correctly, _you're _the one who gave him a beating afterward in the gravity chamber."

Max laughed, cracking his knuckles, "Only a few bruised ribs."

Lexiah smiled, "Always got my back."

"What are twins for?" Max smiled back, holding a fist out, to which she bumped it.

Max was about to take the last bite of his fruit when his senses were alerted to someone entering the room. And, in that instant as well, he realized that the sub-light engines had stopped rumbling far below deck.

Max looked forward to the door that would lead to the cockpit, expecting to see either Luke or Mara walk out. When no one appeared, he looked back to Lexiah. When he did, he was surprised to find someone standing behind her.

"Ben?" Max asked.

Lexiah turned around, a big smile on her face, "Ben!"

Benjamin Kenobi was standing there, a grin on his lips. He was dressed in his normal Jedi robes as always with his lightsaber at his hip. His dark brown robe was draped across his shoulders.

Lexiah leapt to give him a hug. Ben returned the embrace, then laid a hand on the top of her montral, giving an affectionate squeeze, "Hey, kid."

Ben was five years their senior, but for some reason it felt like he was a friend of their own age. He was mature when called for, and he was jovial when able to. He was someone who they looked up to and learned from. Lexiah had thought of Ben as someone who would be very good if he was designated to teach a class at the Rebirth Temple.

"How did you get on board?" Max asked. He hadn't seen Ben board the ship and he himself was the last one in. He remembered closing the hatch.

Ben grinned, "I just walked in." Max blinked a few times before Ben continued, "I used a Force technique that uses light reflection to make me almost invisible, then I just added that ability your father all taught us."

Lexiah leaned back, smiling wide, "Concealing your presence?"

Ben nodded, giving her a pat, "Good deduction, Padawan."

Max saw the color spread across Lexiah's cheeks. He knew that his twin had formed a girlish crush on the Jedi Knight, but it was nothing more than looking at an attractive actor in her favorite holo-magazine. He knew that _she _knew that. Regardless, sometimes he found her reactions to be very silly.

He chuckled to himself. One moment, he reflected to himself, his sister was one of the most terrifying entities that could ever exist and the next moment she was a pile of goo for a cute boy. He'd never been like that with girls.

He knew that his father had been fourteen – just as Max was himself – when he had met Ahsoka Tano, who would then become his wife and Max's mother. Their bond had been forged through blood, sweat, tears, and love. Against any foe, they stood by each other's side. He knew Lexiah yearned for something like that, but, secretly, Max did too.

But, he wasn't any _gummy bear_.

"Do the others know you got on?" Lexiah asked, breaking Max's thoughts.

Ben nodded, "I just came back from talking with them."

"Any idea where we are?" Max asked, crossing his arms.

Ben took a step back, leaning his back against the nearest wall, his hands now in opposite sides of his robes, "We've stopped somewhere outside of the Outer Rim, not far from Geonosis."

"Geonosis?" Max raised his eyebrows, "Why?"

Ben shrugged, "Mara said that this is where something is calling from?"

"Wasn't Geonosis the site of the start of the Clone Wars?" Lexiah asked rhetorically, "The source of the voice is coming from here?"

"We should get to the cockpit." Max said, moving to exit the room. The others followed him until they were standing behind the other two Jedi Knights.

"What's the holdup?" Lexiah asked, leaning on Mara's seat.

Mara cast a glance back, "The echo leads here."

Luke looked at the scanner, "Nothing is coming up on the scopes."

"Yet." Mara quipped.

"Yet." Luke agreed.

Max looked out into the darkness of space, dotted by small white blips he knew were stars. Some of those stars, he knew, had already exploded and died but their light could still be seen due to the time lag of space between two points.

He reached out with his senses and felt…nothing.

"How far are we from Geonosis exactly?" Ben asked, leaning over to peer at the galactic map.

Luke took his finger and drug it from their current location to Geonosis, "One small skip jump and we would be there. It's strange that the voice isn't emanating from there instead."

"Yeah." Lexiah said. "There is _nothing_ out here."

"Just because you can't see anything doesn't mean that there is nothing there." Mara said, closing her eyes and reaching into the Force as well.

Max reached back into the Force, spreading out his senses to encompass the entire ship and the space beyond. His presence wafted through the deep void before he felt a tug at his senses. It was brief, almost imperceptible, but it was there.

"Mara." Max said. "Did you feel that?"

Mara looked to him, "What?"

"Did you feel that?" Max repeated. "For just a second I felt…something."

Lexiah turned to her twin, "I didn't feel anything, Max."

Luke nodded his head, "Nothing here either."

"I'm sure I felt something."

Just then, the Force brought forth a vision.

_Double Vision: three light cruisers of an unknown origin would drop out of hyperspace. In her haste and confusion, Mara would instinctively activate the power switch which activated the turbo-lasers. The three cruisers would open fire almost immediately after, disabling the ship in an instant without killing them. That would leave them open to be boarded…_

The vision ended and Max threw his hand forward, the Force wrapping around the power throttle that controlled the entire power supply for the ship. He yanked it down, lights and displays winking out in an instant. Just because the power was down, however, didn't mean that the life support had been shut off.

Before anyone could protest, the three cruisers that Max had seen in his brief vision appeared before him. Now, he could get a good look at them. They were modified Gozanti-class cruisers, but their dorsal engines had been split into six instead of four, allowing for quicker ignition and speed with shorter wait times. There were also quite a few more batteries peppered across the bottom hull.

"What in the world?" Lexiah muttered, peering closely out the viewport. She turned to her twin, "Max? Did you know they would be here?"

Max shook his head, "I just got a three second vision from the Force and I took the initiative. No time to clue you in."

"I'm glad you didn't." Luke said, his face slightly taut, "I would hate to think what would have happened had we fired upon them or ran immediately when they entered the system."

"We would have been shot down." Max said matter-of-factly.

Mara nodded, looking up at the ships, rubbing a hand across her wrist. Her holo-watch lit up and a hologram of the three ships appeared in a 3D model. She spun the models around, looking closely at the vessels.

"I think these are pirates." Mara said, her voice going slightly dark, "But, the feeling of the voice is coming straight from the main ship."

Luke sighed, "I was afraid of that."

"What's the next move?" Lexiah asked. "We contact them?"

"Bad idea." Max said. "Something tells me they won't want to talk much."

"I mean, if that's where the voice is coming from then they want Luke dead." Lexiah commented, crossing her arms.

Ben nodded, "Indeed. Bad choice."

"Can't just stay here floating in space." Mara muttered, zooming in on the lead ship. She pointed at the bridge, "Here."

"You sure?" Luke asked.

Mara nodded firmly, "Yeah. I'm sure."

Ben leaned forward over Mara's shoulder, tapping the bottom side of the hologram. The lead ship turned over on its backside, the main hanger being visible. Right behind the main hanger there was a small sub-station with a docking port connected to a ventilation hatch.

"If we can get there, we can get in without anyone knowing it." Ben said.

"We can't control the ship without power." Max said. "And we won't be connecting without adjusting our position."

"So, let's use the Force." Lexiah suggested.

"They would feel that." Luke pressed a hand to his chin in thought, then he snapped as an idea formed, "But, what about the air jets."

The shuttle that they were in had been designed by Anakin Skywalker himself, so it had a few tricks up its sleeves. On each side of the ship were eight, small, pressurized air jets that could push the ship in any direction without using a large amount of power. In the case that they were in, the cruisers before them wouldn't have enough of a signal to track.

"Hey guys." Lexiah said, her voice empty, pointing a finger out the viewport.

They all looked up to see the middle cruiser coming to a half where it was. The other two started to veer off in opposite directions just as the middle one started to rotate. The side of the ship was almost fully in view before Max realized _why _it was turning.

"That's an ion cannon!" He exclaimed.

Mara threw the power switch forward, turning the ship back on to ready status. She took control of the yoke and yanked the ship backwards, sub-light drives flashing to life in a heartbeat.

Lexiah grabbed the back of Mara's seat to prevent flying off her feet at the sudden maneuver. Ben used the Force to hold himself in place as did Max. If their attackers knew they were there, no use in hiding in the Force.

Mara tapped the keypad to her right, "Set coordinates for a small skip jump away from inhabited zones!"

Luke nodded and went to typing just as the whine of the ion blast soared towards them.

"It's just like the _Malevolence_!" Lexiah exclaimed.

"That blast will reach us in a matter of seconds!" Ben said. "We have to jump now!"

"We can't!" Mara said, exasperated, "We might crash into a star!"

"Well, that ion blast is _definitely _gonna hit us if we don't jump _right now_!" Luke said, voice stern and concerned.

But, it was too late.

Max looked down at the control panel just as the wave of immobilizing energy overtook the entire ship, shutting down all electrical systems within a nanosecond. Then, he felt his skin prickle with danger sense as his head became swampy, thoughts seeming to melt away into nothing. He reached out towards Lexiah to ask what was happening, but he only saw her slump against the side of the wall, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. He quickly turned to the others and saw that they had also lost consciousness.

Then, just as they had, he fell into black oblivion. As he faded away, he asked himself how they had been rendered unconscious. The blast from the ion cannon should have just immobilized their ship not knock them out. Before he was able to ponder further, blackness overtook him.

When he opened his eyes, he was still teetering on the edge of unconsciousness. But, there were people moving in front of him. He couldn't tell their gender or species for that matter, but he knew that they were there. And, just as he was fading back, a hand felt his face and said.

"Hello, young one. Sorry that this has to happen but worry not because it won't last long."

* * *

When Max came to his senses, he was on his knees with his hands pressed together with special electro-binders. The harder you pulled them, the tighter they became as well as sending a jolt of electricity through your body. It wouldn't cause permanent damage, but it would hurt like hell.

As he regained his sight, he looked around the room. To either of his sides were the rest of his companions. Luke and Ben were farthest away from him while Mara and Lexiah were directly to his right and left. Lexiah had her head down still as did Luke and Ben, but Mara was already wide awake.

In front of them stood three men, all human, with blasters in their hands. They were modified DC-15 blaster rifles. Their clothing was simple but effective, and Max automatically found himself transported back in time to when his father first went over how to identify targets' weaknesses and strengths.

He could tell from just their appearance that it was a _farce. _They were trained. Their backs were taut and strong, showing that they were combat ready in under a second. Max and the rest had the Force, but even that had its limits. He couldn't dodge three blaster bolts coming from three different directions at once.

Obviously, his lightsaber was missing along with all the others' weapons as well. He couldn't even tell where it was at the current moment, and something inside him knew that if he was to try to find the crystal within the saber using the Force, he would regret it. So, he sat there, head lowered to give the impression of still being under the influence.

"Mara." He whispered almost silently.

Using the Force to strengthen her hearing, Mara replied, "You alright?"

"Yeah." Max said. "You?"

"Peachy."

"What happened?"

Sending a mental shrug his way, Mara rolled her eyes slightly, "Still trying to figure that one out."

"Am I interrupting?" A voice called out from in front of them.

Both siblings looked up to see a woman walk into the room. This woman, young and beautiful, had red hair and piercing green eyes. For an instant, Max thought it might have been Mara's long-lost sister or something of that magnitude. They didn't look too much alike, but their other attributes matched almost exactly. However, the woman in front of them had red hair that was a darker red than true redhead.

"Nope." Max said, smiling wide at the newcomer. "We were just discussing what type of dinner we're gonna eat when we go home."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible for the foreseeable future." She said. "I don't plan on letting you leave for quite some time."

"We might have a say in that." Mara retorted swiftly, "I'm afraid you don't know who you're messing with."

"Oh, trust me, Mara Jade, I do." The woman said, a sinister smile on her lips.

To his left, Max saw Ben start to stir awake. When he fully came back, he looked to Max, then to Mara, then to the woman in front of them. He raised an eyebrow.

"Still trying to figure it out." Max grumbled. "Who are you again?"

In one swift motion, the young woman swung her hand towards Luke, palm open. The Force surged fiercely before his body flung itself backward to slam back-first into the bulkhead. His already unconscious form spasmed on contact as he slunk to the floor.

Horrified, Mara turned to him, "Luke!"

Using the Force, the woman pulled Mara's gaze back to her, "Who I am, Mara Jade, is the voice you've been searching for. I am Shira Brie."

Mara's eyes widened, "It was _you_?"

Max's eyes matched Mara's, "Why? What do you want?"

"Young Jedi." Brie tisked, "We will get to that in a moment, but first we must make sure that all the guests have rooms prepared." She held a hand up and a man in a simple uniform stepped forward, "Captain Femnar, take Skywalker to my chambers." She pointed to a group of guards standing by, "Take the Togruta and this young Jedi to cell block A and D. Jade will go to torture chamber delta."

"Yeah." Mara said, gathering the Force inside her, "Not gonna happen."

Ben spoke up for the first time, "Let's go!"

Max nodded and leaped to his feet, kicking his foot out in a vicious strike, sending the guard nearest to him flying away to crash into another man just a few feet behind. One of the next guards raised a blaster and as the bolt flew towards him, Brie tried in vain to alter its trajectory.

Max smirked and raised the cuffs just as the bolt reached him. The electric lock that binded his wrists together exploded into shards and he found himself free at last.

Mara rolled backwards, kicking her leg down to catapult her to her feet. Then, a moment later, she found herself staring at the glaring form of Shira Brie. From her waist, Shira ignited a lightsaber of golden energy.

Ben was already on top of the situation, shoulder-jecking the guard nearest to him. The blaster dropped from the man's hands and Ben swept his leg out from under him. The blaster flew into Ben's hands as he switched to stun, blasting two more guards in quick succession.

Max was halfway to Shira when her lightsaber came to life, but that meant nothing to him. He could feel the Force flowing through every inch of his being. With that life-giving power running in his veins, he made his move. He launched himself through the air, foot outward aimed towards Brie's head.

Brie realized it a second before impact and leaned forward, letting Max soar past her body. He recovered quickly, reflecting himself off the wall and back at her. This time he made contact and kicked the lightsaber out of her hands. Then, he drove his elbow towards her face.

To his utter surprise, she caught the strike and used his momentum to slam him face first into the ground, his face erupting in pain as metal met skin. Mara attacked, the Force blasting out of her palm in a single burst of energy, but Brie created a shield around her, the Force push merely deflecting off her wall.

Then, Brie sent her own blast at Mara. Caught unaware, Mara caught the blast in her chest, flinging her against the wall with a crash. Her body landed next to Skywalker, unmoving.

Max felt anger flow and he punched the ground with a hand covered in Force energy. The entire floor panel seemed to turn to jelly for a moment, losing all physical integrity. Brie lost her hold on him for a mere moment, but that was enough time for him to turn his body around, kicking both legs into Brie's chest and sending her up towards the ceiling. Max jumped to his feet, rearing his fist back to deliver a decisive blow to her face. That would end the fight, he was sure. However, just as he was about to make contact, a sharp awareness sparked in his brain. He couldn't stop his body as he followed through with the punch, but Brie had already recovered. She caught his fist with her arm and swung him around until he found himself flying head-first into the wall. Darkness crowded his mind until it was all there was.

Ben saw both his friends go down and shot two more guards, leaving him alone with Brie. He shot his own restrains with an actual bolt of energy. Brie pulled her lightsaber back to hand, holding it towards the Kenobi. Ben held the blaster up to her in response.

She gave him a look, "You must be joking, Kenobi."

"Try me." Ben said, steel in his voice.

For a good thirty seconds, both combatants stared at each other, wondering who would make the first move. Neither one displayed intention into the Force, so both were waiting on action alone.

Ben's heart froze as he felt the muzzle of a blaster pressed to the base of his skull. Captain Femnar had regained consciousness, picked up his blaster, and had him in a pinch.

"Well," Ben muttered, dropping his blaster, "damn it."

"Should I take care of him, Commander?" Femnar asked, priming his blaster.

Brie shook her head, "No. Take the others where I said to, Kenobi will stay here with me. He has intrigued me."

"As you wish."

From her position on the ground, Lexiah stirred awake, looked around, then frowned, "What did I miss?"

Femnar promptly stunned her a moment later. The guards filed out, a body slung over each shoulder. Ben's ire rose as each of his friends were taken away.

"I sense great fear in you." Shira murmured, moving behind the young Jedi and running a soft hand over his shoulders. Her hands were gentle, but Ben knew the danger behind them. He knew what she _was_.

And, so, he wasn't swayed.

She shoved him to his knees.

"You're failing, you know." Ben said defiantly. "You do not frighten me."

Shira gave a small laugh, squeezing his shoulders as she leaned down to his ear. Her breath tickled the back of his neck as she spoke, "Not the fear I'm sensing."

Ben closed his emotions down with the Force, pushing her out of his head. He hadn't realized it at first, but, in that instance, he did. She had been trying to crawl into his mind.

"I know you don't fear me." She whispered, "But, it's the fear for your friends that I sense."

Ben's muscles tensed, and he closed his fist tighter. He cast a look around, but there was no way he could take out Shira and her four bodyguards before he was shot down. They didn't need _all _of the group, just some of them. He didn't want to shorten their numbers. It was bad enough they were already divided now.

"Tends to happen when you kidnap us and split us up." Ben growled, his heart pumping quickly now.

Shira smiled to herself and leaned back, taking her pistol out and placing it at the back of his head. She cocked the slide back, and pressed it into his skull, "You wouldn't understand. And, if I wasn't so direct, how else would you have cooperated with me?"

Ben clenched his teeth, fear trying to creep into his mind. He pushed it away, "You could have asked nicely."

"You take me for someone willing to talk." Shira said, her finger ghosting over the trigger.

Ben took a deep breath, "There's got to be some type of negotiation here."

Shira smiled sardonically, "The son of Obi Wan Kenobi wants to negotiate. Now, that's very funny. Your father's nickname during the Clone War was 'The Negotiator.' Did you know that?"

Ben nodded, "I know everything about my father. And, I know everything about the Clone War. My parents have taught me well in that regard."

"You claim to know everything." Shira spat. "So boldly spoken for one so young."

There was a malice in her words that didn't belong to her. Yes, she was speaking. Yes, she did mean it. But, no, it was not from her own thoughts. That anger came from an outside source.

Ben could clearly see that.

"I could say the same thing to you." Ben said, gesturing to her, "You don't seem that much older than I."

"I have a handful of years on you." Shira pressed the pistol a little harder forward, "But, you do not know everything about the Clone War."

"You presume to know my upbringing." Ben replied calmly, "You do not know about what I have learned."

"I know you are mistaken."

"Enlighten me then, Miss Brie." Ben suggested. The more he could learn about her the better. If she was part of something bigger than her pirates, then it was something that the Jedi Council needed to know about. He just hoped he could get her talking before she wised up and shot him in the head.

In all honesty, Ben knew that Brie was far more dangerous than first thought. She had captured them using Gozanti-class cruisers from the Clone Wars era, which meant that Mara and the others were in the prison cells far down below.

Mara was a smart woman, but she was also very impatient at times. He knew that when she saw her moment, she would break out and it would be an all-out war until she reached the bridge. However, someone might have been killed in that time, and that was something the Kenobi did not want.

Especially if one of those casualties was one of the Marko twins.

Explaining that to Master Blaze would be a nightmare, not to mention the death of two people he considered to be his own family.

It was all up to the will of the Force.

"Oh, I shall, Kenobi."

* * *

Maxwell Marko woke from his slumber, slightly confused. It didn't take him long to realize that he was in the prison cells of one of the Gozanti cruisers.

Remembering his defeat, he rubbed his sore cheek, "That hurts."

A quick inspection of the cell showed that there were Force-inhibitors built on the outside of the cell, meaning that any physical-based Force abilities were useless. That wasn't common tech, but he could hardly be surprised. This Shira Brie had abducted them and was careful, smart, and prepared. She had already said she had been the one calling out to Mara the whole time. What else was she capable of?

He looked around the cell and didn't see any of his friends or his sister and could only assume they were in different cells. However, he _wasn't _alone. In the corner of the cell, wrapped in her own arms, was a teenage girl.

"Well, hi." Max chuckled lightly, trying to lighten the dreary mood, "Guess you'll have me as company for a little bit. Till we decide to break out, that is."

The teenage girl looked back at him, as if processing his words in her head. She blinked her eyes a few times, then returned her gaze to the ground.

"My name is Max." Max said, taking a cross-legged seat in front of the girl. He noted her tattered clothing, "You been here a while?"

Silently, the girl nodded.

Max reached out with the Force, his presence enveloping hers carefully. However, at the slightest contact, his presence was pushed out. Not only was the connection severed, but the fact that it _was _severed meant that her connection to the Force was strong.

But, he had felt something in that single second of connection.

Strangely enough, the girl didn't seem to be affected by the connection in the slightest. He wasn't even sure that she had felt anything at all. She was most likely oblivious to her own potential. That, though, wasn't what he felt.

The familiarity of her chemistry could only be described in one word: similar.

He gave her a sideways glance, then blew out a sigh, "Do you know if they have any more ships besides this one and the other two?"

The girl didn't move.

"Okay…do you know what planets they may have stopped on?"

Again, silence.

"Are you human?"

Absolute silence.

_Nothing is happening at this point. _Max thought exasperatedly. _They have regulators for our abilities, but that won't stop us from getting out of here. The problem is, we don't know what they might sick on us. _

Best bet was to wait for an opportunity to present itself.

Mara would contact him somehow and let him know when to make a move.

For now, he was with the girl.

"What is your name?" Max said finally. "I mean, you don't have to talk to me constantly but if I can get a name then it would be easier to address you."

The girl looked back up to him, her eyes a light violet color. Her gaze, he now noted, was extremely tired. There were bags under her eyes and it looked as if she was kept on the brink of insomnia as well as malnutrition. Her clothes looked dirty, but there was no odor.

She shuffled for a moment, then spoke, her voice soft but hoarse as if she hadn't used it for some time, "Vey." Her accent was heavy. In a way, her voice resembled Obi Wan's accented cords.

"Vey?" Max repeated. Then, he thought back to what he felt in the Force. "Do you have a last name?"

"Vey is my name." She said tiredly, "The name I made."

"What happened to your real name?" Max asked, his mind starting to flare in the back of his subconscious. There was something about this girl that made him start to wonder about her past more than usual. There was something different about her, but something that made him feel a similar presence. She was connected to the Force, that much was a fact, but her presence was _different._

The girl, now Vey, curled up away from him, "She's gone."

Max scratched his head, "Why?"

This time, Vey whipped around to face him, landing on the palms of her hands and knees, her face pointed to his. The second of bravado suddenly melted away into fear at the consequence, and she slipped backwards, her eyes downcast.

"She had to go." She whispered. "I'm a good girl. I'm a good girl."

"_Who _are you?" Max asked again, this time with a bit more seriousness than usual. His carefree attitude and smiling face were replaced with one of focus and determination. "I feel it. Even with the Force being suppressed, I can feel it in you."

Vey looked up to meet his eyes, "So, it _is _real?"

"Is what real?"

"The Force."

"Of course, the Force is real." Max said, confused, "Why wouldn't it be?"

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you." Vey whispered. Her voice was even more hoarse, as if she was fighting back tears. Pain radiated through the Force, so strongly that Max grabbed at his head.

"Yeah." Max grumbled, pushing the feeling away. "I'm sure I would."

Noticing his wince, Vey blinked, "Did that hurt you? I…didn't mean to."

"No. It's fine." Max gave a disarming smile, "You just don't know how to control it. But, don't worry, I'm sure my dad will teach you when we get back."

There it was: hope.

Vey turned to him a bit more, "What do you mean?"

"Me and my friends are going to break out of here at some point, and you're gonna come with us." Max said. There wasn't a way he was going to leave her with the pirates.

_Plus, _Max thought, _I have no doubt that this Shira Brie is more sadistic than just harsh. _

Vey brushed the sentence away, "You're wasting your time."

"I get why you think that." He smirked, feeling pride, "But, when your father is Blaze Marko, you tend to get out of stick situations."

"Marko?" Vey echoed, "Marko..."

There had been a handful of instances where Max couldn't give an explanation beyond what was said. This, it seemed, was such a time.

Max frowned, putting pieces together in his head, "I find it hard to believe that even in here you haven't heard of my dad. Everybody and their mother knows about him."

Vey shrunk back, "Well," she said, "forgive me for being out of touch." Her eyes misted suddenly, pain flooding once again through the Force. Sadness was the heaviest of them all. A sense of loss.

"No." Max said, pondering further. Then, it sparked. There was a question he hadn't asked yet. He had asked who she was, what she was doing here. But, he didn't ask her the last one. "Where did they take you from?"

Vey paused. Silence took over the air between them, and Max could feel a chill run down his spine at the sudden, awkward silence.

"You wouldn't know what the planet is." Vey whispered.

With anticipation nipping at his heels, Max nearly blurted out, "Was it Earth!?"

Vey's violet eyes lit up with recognition and with desperate hope. She leaned forward this time, landing back on her palms, then crawled over to where Max was, making him lean back a bit as she came within a foot of him.

There it was. That was his way to get answers to his questions. There was a connection there! That was the familiarity that he had felt once before.

"You know of Earth?" Vey choked on her words, tears starting to stream down her face, her breaths becoming rapid.

Max didn't know how long she had been in such a ragged state, but he could only guess that getting emotional wasn't good for her. Gently, he nodded, "Of course, I know of Earth. My father is from Earth."

Vey gave a watery smile, followed by a breathless laugh, "Y-Your dad? He's…he's from Earth?"

Max smiled, "Yeah. And, I promise to tell you the story, but only after you answer my questions. Deal?"

Vey nodded her head, then her stomach growled loudly. Quickly, Max reached into his belt pouch and pulled out a granola bar that his dad always gave him. He handed it over, to which Vey took it graciously. She munched it down within seconds, the first real smile adorning her face.

Kindness she hadn't known for some time he was sure.

"How long have you been here?" Max asked as she finished.

Vey swallowed, her eyes downcast but accepting, "Ten months. This ship landed over in England – which is a large country on Earth – and took a total of twenty people prisoner. I didn't think it was real. I had read books, watched the movies, and even written some stories, but I didn't think this stuff ever existed." She took a shaky breath, "Five people died within the first month. And, then numbers kept dwindling till it was just me. That was five months ago. Honestly, I'd just about given up hope of ever seeing anybody ever again. That is, until today."

"I'm the first person you've seen for five months?" Max echoed, his stomach turning in disgust. Instinctively, his fist clenched. There was nothing that made his blood boil more than evil people getting away with wrongdoings and making people suffer.

"Yes." Vey said. "And, my name – my real name – is Alexandria. Princess Alexandria Dantez of England."

Max fell on his hands, his face almost touching hers accidentally, "You're a _princess_?!"

Vey nodded, "I _was_."

"You were taken from your home." Max said gently. "You were forced to be someone you weren't."

"Put it on the back shelf." Vey let out a small cough. "I knew the gravity of my situation. I had to do something. Be _someone _else."

"And, just like my dad, you created a name for yourself." Max said more to himself than anyone else. "You chose Vey. He chose Blaze. Master Rey chose Ziv. Everyone created someone else."

"Wait." Vey stopped him, "How many people from Earth are here?"

Max adopted a thoughtful look, "Well…five. There used to be more, like my grandparents, but they died during the Shadow War."

"I don't remember that in the lore of Star Wars." Vey said. "I'm sorry about your family."

"I never met them." Max said softly, "I wish I could have. And, as for lore, my dad changed all that when he ended the Clone Wars. That's why there is no Empire. That's why there's no Vader."

"Your dad made a real impression then. He changed history." Vey smiled. "I just thought I was too out of range to know about the current state of events. I didn't know that was possible…and, I'm so glad I'm not alone anymore."

In that moment, Max focused on Vey's face. Even though there were signs of malnutrition, he could see her high cheekbones and smooth features. Her eyes shone brightly with hope, and her smile was captivating.

He found himself staring.

And, Vey caught him.

"I'm sorry that we have to meet like this." She joked, "I'm not in the best shape, I know."

Max shook his head, "No. Don't apologize. I'm sorry they've treated you so badly." He slowly got to his feet, turning to the laser shield, "I'm sure it won't be much longer now."

From behind him, Vey spoke, "How old are you, Max?"

"Fourteen." He said simply.

"You're very mature for your age. You talk like a leader, and you have a warm heart." Her voice said softly, "Thank you."

"No thanks necessary, Vey." Max said, swallowing heavily. "I'm a Jedi. It's what we do."

"And, I'm a fifteen-year-old ex-princess of a planet that has no idea where I am." Vey said, getting to her feet with a wobbly stance. She hadn't felt contact with another person in any way other than negative. Slowly, she walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his torso as he turned to face her, her face buried in his tunic. "Thanks."

Max let out a breath, raising a hand to lay it over hers gently, "You're welcome, Alexandria."

"Here, I'm Vey." She whispered against him, tears again streaming.

"Okay, Vey."

As Vey rested against him in that moment, he couldn't help but think about what Lexiah had said when they were aboard their ship. And, he also couldn't stop wondering what his father would say if he knew his son went down so easily.

Max would make sure he _never _found out.


End file.
